Birth: 1784
Death: 1859 Virginia
Parents: William May (?) and Elizabeth May (1755-1838)
Spouse: Eleanor "Ellen" Gibson (1790-1859)
Children:
Occupation:
Farmer.
Biography:
Henry May is firmly established in the May family, however many details about his life are still not known at this time. Early mentions of Henry are in Morton's 1914 History of Preston County, West Virginia where the author mentions Henry as being the son of an unknown pioneer (Other sources and family trees suggest that the fathers name is William.) It goes on to say that he settled on Beech Run Hill. Another source is Janice Sisler, a Preston County Historian, who goes into more detail giving Henry's birth and death years, his wife's name, several children and some information regarding land he owned near Deep Hallow in the Pleasant District of Preston County.
Much of the additional information I have gathered about Henry comes from internet sites such as Ancestry.com and several collections of county records from Preston and Monongalia Counties. Sources such as Zinn's Monongalia County, West Virginia Records of District, Superior and County Courts list several records which contain the names William, George, and Henry May-however, they do not give any bio of the person which makes positively identifying them difficult.
The same applies to Henry May's military career. It is verified that a William and Henry May joined Captain Samuel Wilson's Company and that they mustered from Monongalia County. Again, no other information was listed but it is likely that there is more information about his service in the National Archives (Washington D.C. and St. Louis). Initially I thought this might not have been the Henry May I was researching as there was no mention of George May, the third brother, however, I found later that there was a George May who died in 1809.
The Federal Census records provide more clues and yet present many of the same problems identified above. Prior to 1850, the census only listed the name the head of household. The other household members were categorized by age range which made positively identifying someone much more difficult.
Geography is another major hurdle in the research. Monongalia County was formed in 1776 and the land was contested between Virginia and Pennsylvania. As many as 18 counties were formed out was Monongalia County in West Virginia (once West Virginia became a state in 1863) as well as several Pennsylvania counties such as Green, Fayette, and Washington Counties. So someone born in Monongalia could have have been born or died in Pennsylvania or Virginia and yet today be in either or in West Virginia. This comes up a lot in later census records (post 1850) where more information was collected, and often the head of household was asked where he and his parents were born; and this information could vary by the decade as the geography changed.
Based on the information I know now, Henry surely existed. He was born in 1784 and died in 1859, the location of his birth (George W. May gives the location as both Pennsylvania and Virginia in different census years) or death are unknown. His wife Eleanor is reported to be buried in Mt. Zion Cemetery near Marquess in Preston County (though there is a story that she died in Kansas and was taken back to Preston County to be buried, not verified and even seems unlikely as she died in the same year as Henry). The Children of Henry are pretty well established, while his siblings are much less so, as is his father William. His mother Elizabeth has slightly more information about her past (mostly post Williams death).
Census Information:
The 1810 Federal Census has Henry living in Monongalia County, Virginia (now West Virginia). The census indicates that Henry was between the ages of 16-25 and was living with a white female between the ages of 16-25 (Eleanor).
The 1820 Federal Census has Henry living in Preston County, Virginia (now West Virginia). The census indicates that there were three males under 10 (John, George, Jacob), one male 16-25 (I assume Henry, there could have been an error), one female under 10 (Isabel), one female 10-15 (Elizabeth), and one female 26-44 (Eleanor).
The 1830 Federal Census has Henry living in Preston County,Virginia (now West Virginia). The census indicates that there were two males under 5, one male 5-9 (Levi), one male 10-14 (Jacob), two males 15-19 (John and George), one male 50-59 (Henry), one female under 10 (Rebecca), one female 10-15 (Isabel), one 15-19 (Elizabeth), and one 30-39 (Eleanor).
The 1840 Federal Census has Henry living in Preston County, Virginia (now West Virginia). The census indicates that there was one male 5-9 (William), two males 10-14, one male 15-19 (Levi), one male 20-30 (George or Jacob), one make 60-69 (Henry), one female 15-19 (Rebecca), one female 20-29 (Isabel), and one female 50-59 (Eleanor).
Obituary:
Burial:
Unknown.
Death: 1859 Virginia
Parents: William May (?) and Elizabeth May (1755-1838)
Spouse: Eleanor "Ellen" Gibson (1790-1859)
Children:
- Elizabeth May (1810-?)
- John May (1813-?)
- George W. May (1814-1886)
- Jacob May (1815-?)
- Isabel May (1818-?)
- Rebecca May (1821-?)
- Levi May (1823-1907)
- Marion May (1830-?)
- William J. May (1831-1914)
- Nancy May (1832-?)
- Mary May (?)
- Susannah May (?)
- Isabella May (?)
- William J. May (1779-1855)
- Joanna May
- George May (1783-?)
Private in Monongalia Capt. Samuel G. Wilson Rifles 2nd V.M. Evans Sep 19 1812 - Apr 5 1813
I have yet to find actual military records for Henry. The only proof I have found so far is the mention of a William May who enlisted with Henry May in Captain Samuel Wilson's Company. According to Samuel T. Wiley in his "History of Monongalia County" there were three companies of men, from what was then western Virginia, that fought in the campaign of General William Henry Harrison in the northwest (India, Ohio, Michigan) in 1812-1813. The men of captain Samuel Wilson's Company had experienced Great hardships on their marches, at times the men had to cut bushes to lie on at night to keep themselves out of the water."Occupation:
Farmer.
Biography:
Henry May is firmly established in the May family, however many details about his life are still not known at this time. Early mentions of Henry are in Morton's 1914 History of Preston County, West Virginia where the author mentions Henry as being the son of an unknown pioneer (Other sources and family trees suggest that the fathers name is William.) It goes on to say that he settled on Beech Run Hill. Another source is Janice Sisler, a Preston County Historian, who goes into more detail giving Henry's birth and death years, his wife's name, several children and some information regarding land he owned near Deep Hallow in the Pleasant District of Preston County.
Much of the additional information I have gathered about Henry comes from internet sites such as Ancestry.com and several collections of county records from Preston and Monongalia Counties. Sources such as Zinn's Monongalia County, West Virginia Records of District, Superior and County Courts list several records which contain the names William, George, and Henry May-however, they do not give any bio of the person which makes positively identifying them difficult.
The same applies to Henry May's military career. It is verified that a William and Henry May joined Captain Samuel Wilson's Company and that they mustered from Monongalia County. Again, no other information was listed but it is likely that there is more information about his service in the National Archives (Washington D.C. and St. Louis). Initially I thought this might not have been the Henry May I was researching as there was no mention of George May, the third brother, however, I found later that there was a George May who died in 1809.
The Federal Census records provide more clues and yet present many of the same problems identified above. Prior to 1850, the census only listed the name the head of household. The other household members were categorized by age range which made positively identifying someone much more difficult.
Geography is another major hurdle in the research. Monongalia County was formed in 1776 and the land was contested between Virginia and Pennsylvania. As many as 18 counties were formed out was Monongalia County in West Virginia (once West Virginia became a state in 1863) as well as several Pennsylvania counties such as Green, Fayette, and Washington Counties. So someone born in Monongalia could have have been born or died in Pennsylvania or Virginia and yet today be in either or in West Virginia. This comes up a lot in later census records (post 1850) where more information was collected, and often the head of household was asked where he and his parents were born; and this information could vary by the decade as the geography changed.
Based on the information I know now, Henry surely existed. He was born in 1784 and died in 1859, the location of his birth (George W. May gives the location as both Pennsylvania and Virginia in different census years) or death are unknown. His wife Eleanor is reported to be buried in Mt. Zion Cemetery near Marquess in Preston County (though there is a story that she died in Kansas and was taken back to Preston County to be buried, not verified and even seems unlikely as she died in the same year as Henry). The Children of Henry are pretty well established, while his siblings are much less so, as is his father William. His mother Elizabeth has slightly more information about her past (mostly post Williams death).
Census Information:
The 1810 Federal Census has Henry living in Monongalia County, Virginia (now West Virginia). The census indicates that Henry was between the ages of 16-25 and was living with a white female between the ages of 16-25 (Eleanor).
The 1820 Federal Census has Henry living in Preston County, Virginia (now West Virginia). The census indicates that there were three males under 10 (John, George, Jacob), one male 16-25 (I assume Henry, there could have been an error), one female under 10 (Isabel), one female 10-15 (Elizabeth), and one female 26-44 (Eleanor).
The 1830 Federal Census has Henry living in Preston County,Virginia (now West Virginia). The census indicates that there were two males under 5, one male 5-9 (Levi), one male 10-14 (Jacob), two males 15-19 (John and George), one male 50-59 (Henry), one female under 10 (Rebecca), one female 10-15 (Isabel), one 15-19 (Elizabeth), and one 30-39 (Eleanor).
The 1840 Federal Census has Henry living in Preston County, Virginia (now West Virginia). The census indicates that there was one male 5-9 (William), two males 10-14, one male 15-19 (Levi), one male 20-30 (George or Jacob), one make 60-69 (Henry), one female 15-19 (Rebecca), one female 20-29 (Isabel), and one female 50-59 (Eleanor).
Obituary:
Burial:
Unknown.
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