Sir Thomas Erskine May

MAY, SIR THOMAS ERSKINE: see FARNBOROUGH.

MAY,

or MEY(E), WILLIAM (d. 156o), English divine, was the brother of John May, bishop of Carlisle. He was educated at Cambridge, where he was a fellow of Trinity Hall, and in 1537, president of Queen's college. May was successively chancellor, vicar-general and prebendary of Ely, In 1545 he was made a pre bendary of St. Paul's, and in the following year dean. His favour able report on the Cambridge colleges saved them from dissolu tion. He died on the day of his election to the archbishopric of York.

MAY,

the fifth month of our modern year, the third of the old Roman calendar perhaps derived from the name of the god dess Maia. The ancient Romans used on May day to go in pro cession to the grotto of Egeria. (May day was in the middle of the Floralia.) The month was re garded as unlucky for marriages, owing to the celebration of the Lemuria, the festival of the un happy dead.

In mediaeval and Tudor Eng land, May day was a great public holiday. All classes of the people were up with the dawn, and went "a-maying." Branches of trees

and flowers were borne back in triumph to the towns and vil lages, the centre of the procession being occupied by the maypole, glorious with ribbons and wreaths. The maypole was usu ally of birch, and set up for the day only; but in London and the larger towns the poles were of durable wood and permanently erected. They were special eyesores to the Puritans. May poles were forbidden by the parlia ment in 1644, but came once more into favour at the Restoration. In 1661 a maypole 134ft, high was set up by twelve British sailors under the personal supervision of James II., then Duke of York and lord high admiral, in the Strand.

May day was selected as an international Labour holiday by the International Socialist Congress of 1889. (See LABOUR DAY.) For an account of the May day survivals in rural England see John Brand, Popular Antiquities of Great Britain (1905).