William May (politician)

William Morrison May (8 April 1909 – 2 March 1962) was a unionist politician in Northern Ireland.

May was born in Letterkenny, County Donegal, the son of William May JP, and educated at Methodist College, Belfast.  In 1934 he married Olive Muriel Dickinson and had one son and two daughters - Jennifer married, firstly, the 8th Earl of Strafford and, subsequently, Sir Christopher Bland, Chairman of British Telecom. He served in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force from 1936–39 and in the Royal Air Force from 1939-45 as a Wing Commander.

May was a chartered accountant in the firm of Quin, Knox and Co. During the Second World War he served in the RAF and was a Member of Lloyd's from 1954.

At the 1949 Northern Ireland general election, he was elected as the Ulster Unionist Party MP for Ards.  He was appointed Minister for Education in 1957, also being raised to the Privy Council (Northern Ireland).

May died at his home, Mertoun Hall, Holywood, County Down in 1962.

References

Category:1909 births
Category:1962 deaths
Category:Members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland 1949–1953
Category:Members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland 1953–1958
Category:Members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland 1958–1962
Category:Members of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland
Category:Northern Ireland Cabinet ministers (Parliament of Northern Ireland)
Category:Ulster Unionist Party members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland
Category:People educated at Methodist College Belfast
Category:Members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland for County Down constituencies