Born the son of Job William Seaburne May and Anne Jane May (née Freckleton), May was educated at the Royal Institution School in Liverpool and Eastman's Royal Naval Academy and then joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in the training ship HMS Britannia on 9 June 1863.
He joined the first-rate HMS Victoria, flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1864 and, having been promoted to midshipman, he transferred to the frigate HMS Liffey in 1867.
Promoted to sub-lieutenant on 29 March 1869, he joined the battleship HMS Hercules in the Channel Fleet and then transferred to the Royal Yacht HMY Victoria and Albert (1855) in June 1871.
Promoted to lieutenant on 7 September 1871, he briefly rejoined HMS Hercules in April 1872 before attending the gunnery school HMS Excellent at Portsmouth.
He joined the frigate HMS Newcastle at Sheerness in September 1874 and then became navigating officer in the sloop HMS Alert on her Arctic expedition of 1875 and 1876.
He took part in an expedition to rescue Commander Albert Markham, who had got into difficulty trying to reach the North Pole via Smith Sound, the sea passage between Greenland and Canada's northernmost island, Ellesmere Island.

May joined the torpedo school HMS Vernon in 1877, where he was involved in the development of the Whitehead torpedo, and then transferred to the frigate HMS Inconstant in the Mediterranean Fleet in 1880.
Promoted to commander on 9 March 1881,  he became commanding officer of the torpedo ram HMS Polyphemus later that year and then returned to the Royal Yacht HMY Victoria and Albert II, this time as second in command, in 1884.
Promoted to captain on 9 May 1887, he became flag captain to the Commander-in-Chief, China Station in the armored cruiser HMS Imperieuse in March 1888.
En route to the Far East he took possession of Christmas Island following the recent discovery of phosphate deposits there.
He then served successively as naval attaché in Berlin, naval attaché in Paris and naval attaché in Saint Petersburg.
He went on to be Assistant Director of Torpedoes at the Admiralty in 1893, flag captain to the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet in the battleship HMS Ramillies in January 1895 and flag captain to the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in early 1897.
In the latter role he acted as chief of staff for the Diamond Jubilee Review of the Fleet at Spithead in June 1897 for which he was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order later that year.
He then became commanding officer of the gunnery school HMS Excellent later that year and was appointed a naval aide-de-camp to the Queen on 7 May 1899.
Born the son of Job William Seaburne May and Anne Jane May (née Freckleton), May was educated at the Royal Institution School in Liverpool and Eastman's Royal Naval Academy and then joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in the training ship HMS Britannia on 9 June 1863. He joined the first-rate HMS Victoria, flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1864 and, having been promoted to midshipman, he transferred to the frigate HMS Liffey in 1867. Promoted to sub-lieutenant on 29 March 1869, he joined the battleship HMS Hercules in the Channel Fleet and then transferred to the Royal Yacht HMY Victoria and Albert (1855) in June 1871. Promoted to lieutenant on 7 September 1871, he briefly rejoined HMS Hercules in April 1872 before attending the gunnery school HMS Excellent at Portsmouth. He joined the frigate HMS Newcastle at Sheerness in September 1874 and then became navigating officer in the sloop HMS Alert on her Arctic expedition of 1875 and 1876. He took part in an expedition to rescue Commander Albert Markham, who had got into difficulty trying to reach the North Pole via Smith Sound, the sea passage between Greenland and Canada's northernmost island, Ellesmere Island.
May joined the torpedo school HMS Vernon in 1877, where he was involved in the development of the Whitehead torpedo, and then transferred to the frigate HMS Inconstant in the Mediterranean Fleet in 1880. Promoted to commander on 9 March 1881,  he became commanding officer of the torpedo ram HMS Polyphemus later that year and then returned to the Royal Yacht HMY Victoria and Albert II, this time as second in command, in 1884. Promoted to captain on 9 May 1887, he became flag captain to the Commander-in-Chief, China Station in the armored cruiser HMS Imperieuse in March 1888. En route to the Far East he took possession of Christmas Island following the recent discovery of phosphate deposits there. He then served successively as naval attaché in Berlin, naval attaché in Paris and naval attaché in Saint Petersburg. He went on to be Assistant Director of Torpedoes at the Admiralty in 1893, flag captain to the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet in the battleship HMS Ramillies in January 1895 and flag captain to the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in early 1897. In the latter role he acted as chief of staff for the Diamond Jubilee Review of the Fleet at Spithead in June 1897 for which he was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order later that year. He then became commanding officer of the gunnery school HMS Excellent later that year and was appointed a naval aide-de-camp to the Queen on 7 May 1899.
William May (Royal Navy officer)