Francis Henry May
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Sir Francis Henry May (Chinese Translated Name 梅含理) (1860 - 1922) was a British colonial administrator who became Governor of Hong Kong.
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[edit] Early life and education
May was born in Dublin, Ireland on 14 March, 1860. He was the 4th son of Rt. Hon. G. A. C. May, Lord Chief-Justice of Ireland. May was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Dublin, where a few of his predecessors to the Governorship of Hong Kong attended school. May received the 1st Honourman and Prizeman Classics and Modern Languages and B.A. in 1881.
[edit] Career in Hong Kong
In 1881, May was appointed to a Hong Kong Cadetship after a competitive examination. In 1886, he became the Assistant Protector of Chinese and private secretary to Governor Sir George William Des Vœux. He was also the private secretary to Acting Administrator Digby Barker from 1889 to 1891.
May would hold the office of Assistant Colonial Secretary in 1891 and Acting Colonial Treasurer in 1892. He was made a member of the Legislative Council in 1895. From 1893 to 1902, May was the Captain Superintendent of the Hong Kong Police Force, and Superintendent Victoria Gaol and Fire Brigade for Hong Kong between 1896 and 1902.
He held the position of Colonial Secretary for Hong Kong in 1902-1910, and became an acting administrator of Hong Kong in 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907, and 1910. In 1910, May was appointed Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner Western Pacific, a position he would hold until 1912.
[edit] Governor of Hong Kong
In 1912, May was appointed Governor of Hong Kong, a position he occupied in his own right until 1919. It was also his last post in the Colonial Service. May was the only Hong Kong Governor to be a target in an assassination attempt. When he arrived in Hong Kong from Fiji, he rode in a sedan, and was fired upon. May was not injured. Since that incident, May used an automobile as his daily method of transportation.
In 1919, May was allowed to retire, due to ill health.
[edit] Personal life
May married Helena Barker in 1891. She was the daughter of Acting Administrator Major-General Digby Barker. They had four daughters. May died on 6 February, 1922 in Canada.
[edit] Honours
[edit] Publications
- "Guide to Cantonese Colloquial"
- "Yachting In Hong-Kong"
[edit] Places Named After Him
May Road, a roadway in the Upper Mid-Levels District in Hong Kong Island, and May Hall was named after him. Also, the Helena May Foundation was named after his wife.
[edit] See also
| Preceded by: James Haldane Stewart Lockhart |
Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong 1902-1910 |
Followed by: Sir Claud Severn |
| Preceded by: Sir Henry Arthur Blake |
Governor of Hong Kong (Administrator) November 1903-July 1904 |
Followed by: Sir Matthew Nathan |
| Preceded by: Sir Everard F. im Thurn |
Governor of Fiji 1910-1912 |
Followed by: Sir Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott |
| Preceded by: Acting Administrator Claud Severn |
15th Governor of Hong Kong 1912-1919 |
Followed by: Acting Administrator Claud Severn |
