Introduction
At the request of officers of Pike County Historical Society, LLC, Fred T. May will provide a series of articles from his research on early Pike County records of general interest to the organization.
In 1983, Fred began research on his May ancestors in Eastern Kentucky. His parents and grandparents were not living but some of his May uncles and other relatives directed him to an unpublished 493-page document prepared by his father’s first cousin, Tress May Francis of Prestonsburg: “May Genealogy, Southern Branch with Biological Sketches: 1776-1956.” Tress spent over 25 years collecting and documenting material for this document.
In 1800, John and Sarah Phillips May brought their family of four sons and two daughters into the Big Sandy Valley and settled at the mouth of Shelby Creek. Thus began the story of this May family in the region. Two more sons were born in 1800 and 1805. Tress’ records were primarily limited to information on families of three of the sons—Samuel, Thomas and Reuben—who remained in the region throughout their lives. Additional research yielded other sources that revealed more about the lives and families of the other May siblings.
◄Kentucky Historical Marker—Collins Highway on Shelby Creek►
In 1996, Fred and his son David began—and continue to maintain—a website to provide easy access to records of the May family. This activity is in support of Friends of the Samuel May House, Inc. that sponsored the 1997 restoration of this brick home built in Prestonsburg in 1817.
In 1998, Fred published his family research in a 537-page book: “The Shoemaker’s Children, Eight Generations of the May family, 1567-1813.” This work extended the known line of his ancestors by six generations—all born in the Rheinland Palatinate in present-day Germany—prior to the 1760 birth of Johannes (John) May in Lancaster, PA.
In 2004, Fred co-authored a 304-page book on a grandson of John May:
“I Will Uphold The Flag, The Life of Colonel Reuben May, 1815-1902.” Reuben—a son of Thomas May—was born on Shelby Creek and was one of the few members of the family to serve in the Union Army.
In 2020, Fred published a 264-page book on the first surveys and patents (grants) for land in Eastern Kentucky: “Big Sandy Land, 1607-1800, Speculators-Surveyors-Settlers.” These land titles include thousands of acres extending from the mouth of Big Sandy to the headwaters of the valley. The first article in this series for the Pike County Historical Society is based on information in this book.