| Sir Francis Henry May | |
|---|---|
| 15th Governor of Hong Kong | |
| In office 24 July 1912 – 30 September 1919 |
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| Preceded by | Frederick John Dealtry Lugard, 1st Baron Lugard |
| Succeeded by | Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 March 1860 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 6 February 1922 (aged 61) Suffolk, England |
| Spouse(s) | Helena Barker |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Dublin |
| Profession | colonial administrator |
Sir Francis Henry May, GCMG (Chinese Translated Name: 梅含理) (1860–1922) was a British colonial administrator who became Governor of Hong Kong.
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May was born in Dublin, Ireland on 14 March 1860. He was the 4th son of Rt. Hon. George Augustus Chichester 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.
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.
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. He was fired upon near the General Post Office as he rode in a sedan chair after arriving from Fiji in July 1912. May was not injured; the bullet lodged in the sedan of his wife. The gunman, Li Hung Hung, had a grudge against May. Several years before, this former Police Superintendent had imprisoned Li's father, an undesirable mainland immigrant.[1] Since that incident, May used an automobile as his daily method of transportation.
In 1919, May was allowed to retire, due to ill health.
May married Helena Barker in 1891. She was the daughter of Acting Administrator Major-General Digby Barker. They had four daughters.
He died at Clare Priory, Suffolk, England. He is buried at Clare.
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.
| Police appointments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Alexander Gordon |
Captain-Superintendent of Police 1893–1902 |
Succeeded by Joseph Badeley |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by James Haldane Stewart Lockhart |
Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong 1902–1910 |
Succeeded by Sir Claud Severn |
| Preceded by Sir Henry Arthur Blake |
Governor of Hong Kong (Administrator) 1903–1904 |
Succeeded by Sir Matthew Nathan |
| Preceded by Sir Everard F. im Thurn |
High Commissioner for the Western Pacific 1910–1912 |
Succeeded by Sir Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott |
| Governor of Fiji 1910–1912 |
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| Preceded by Acting Administrator Claud Severn |
15th Governor of Hong Kong 1912–1919 |
Succeeded by Acting Administrator Claud Severn |
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