FARNBOROUGH, THOMAS ERSKINE MAY, BARON (1815-1886), clerk of the British House of Commons and his torian, was born in London on Feb. 8, 1815, and was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1838. His Treatise on the Law, Privilege, Proceedings and Usage of Parliament (1844) is a standard work on its subject, and has itself influenced parlia mentary procedure. Sir Erskine May (he received the K.C.B. in 1866) was examiner of petitions for private bills (1846), taxing master of the House of Commons (1847), assistant clerk (1856), and clerk of the House of Commons (1871-86). His Constitu tional History of England . . . 5760-5860 (1861-63) is an im portant work, which was revised in later editions by its author and remains a standard authority. Erskine May died in London on May 17, 1886, a few days after his elevation to the peerage.