May (County Waterford)
According to Morris the Mays were originally a Sussex family who came to Ireland in the early seventeenth century. Sir Algernon May and his wife Dorothy were granted over 7,000 acres in counties Waterford and Cork in 1666. Edward May was MP for Waterford between 1717 and 1729. He acquired the property at Rockettscastle and renamed it Mayfield. Wilson, writing in 1786, refers to "the extensive mills built by Edward May" at Portlaw as well as a large house built by him. Sadlier refers to Sir James May, baronet, who served as MP for Waterford, 1759-1798, and was High Sheriff of Waterford in 1752. He was the son of James May of Mayfield and Hon. Letitia Ponsonby.
Associated Families
Houses
| Name | Townland | Civil Parish | PLU | DED | Barony | County | Map Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayfield or Rocket's Castle | Mayfield or Rocketscastle | Clonagam | Carrick-n-Suir | Portlaw 4 | Upperthird | Waterford |
OSI Ref: S477165
OS Sheet: 8 Discovery map: 75 |
Contemporary printed sources
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''15th Annual Report of the Commissioners of Public Records Ireland,'' 1825. Vol XVI, Appendix I, Grants under Acts of Settlement: 82, 85, 153
- WILSON, William. ''The Post-Chaise Companion or Travellers Directory Through Ireland''. The author: Dublin, 1786 : 335 (Portlaw & Mayfield)
Modern printed sources
- NOLAN, W, POWER, T.P. & COWMAN, D. (eds). ''Waterford: History and Society''. (Dublin: Geography Publications, 1992). : Morris, Henry F. The "principal inhabitants" of county Waterford in 1746, pp.313-314.
- SMITH, Charles. ''The ancient and present state of the county and city of Waterford''. Third edition edited by Donald Brady. Wateford : Waterford County Council, 2008. : 74 (Mayfield)
- ''Jnl. of the Waterford and South East of Ireland Archaeological Society''.: Sadleir, Thomas U. The county of Waterford, 1775: principal gentry. XVI (1913), pp.49-55.