Thomas May (archaeologist)
Thomas May FSA (1 October 1842 – 28 October 1931) was an archaeologist who was notable for his study of pottery from Roman Britain.
Thomas May was born in Cambridge in 1842 and went to Edinburgh University.[1] He worked for the Inland Revenue until his retirement and afterwards devoted his time to archaeology.[1]
He catalogued the pottery from the Roman sites at Silchester and Colchester.[2] He also contributed to the reports of excavations at Wroxeter, Hengistbury Head, Richborough, Swarling and the Roman cemetery at Ospringe.[2]
May excavated the Roman industrial site at Wilderspool between 1898 and 1905.[3] He also excavated the Roman fort at Templeborough in 1916 before it was destroyed by the construction of a steel works.[4] He moved to Stratford-upon-Avon when Roman remains were discovered at Tiddington and excavated the site.[2]
He died at Loxley Lodge, Stratford-upon-Avon.[5]
Honours and awards
[edit]Thomas May was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1916.[2]
Select Bibliography
[edit]May, Thomas F.S.A. (1904). Warrington's Roman remains : the Roman fortifications, potter's kilns, iron and glass furnaces, and bronze founders' and enamellers' workshop discovered at Wilderspool and Stockton Heath, near Warrington. Warrington: Mackie.
May, Thomas F.S.A. (1916). The pottery found at Silchester : a descriptive account of the pottery recovered during the excavations on the site of the Romano-British city of Calleva Atrebatum at Silchester, Hants., and deposited in the Reading Museum. Reading: E. Poynder.
May, Thomas (archaeologist) (1922). The Roman forts of Templebrough near Rotherham. Rotherham: H. Garnett and Co.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Mr Thomas May". The Times. 26 Nov 1931. p. 19. Retrieved 2025-03-30.
- ^ a b c d "Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries". The Antiquaries Journal. 12 (3): 341–354. July 1932. doi:10.1017/S0003581500044061. ISSN 0003-5815.
- ^ May, Thomas (1904). Warrington's Roman remains. Warrington: Mackie.
- ^ May, Thomas (1922). The Roman forts of Templebrough near Rotherham. Rotherham: H. Garnett and Co.
- ^ "Death of Mr. Thomas May". Birmingham Evening Mail. 30 October 1931. p. 8.