The May family unites with the Wolff family through the
marriage of the brothers Thomas and
Frederic May to
the sisters
Ida and Clara Wolff. Unfortunately we know little about
the brothers' father, John May (right), except that he was probably married
twice given the date range between his two sons' births, but not
necessarily.
Thomas May married Ida Wolff in Hamburg before 1855 and they had seven children:
- ALICE
born 1855 in Montreal, Canada;
- FRANK born 1857 in Hamburg, Germany;
- GUSTAVE
born 1858 in Montreal, Canada (The entry for his christening entry in the parish
record of St George's Montreal can be
seen here)
- FLORENCE ELIZA born on 12 May 1859 in Montréal, Canada (The
entry for her christening entry in the parish record of St George's Montreal can
be
seen here)
- ELEANOR IDA CLARA
- EVELYN
- SYDNEY
 |
|
| Five
of the seven May children (left to right Sydney, Evelyn, Alice, Florence and
Eleanor) |
|
Below: Harvestchuder Weg 10, Hamburg,
the home of the Mays which was subsequently demolished.
Below Thomas May.
From
the
1861 Canadian census we can gather the following pieces of information:
Thomas May was born in England and is listed as aged 32 in 1861 which means he
was born in 1822. (One source says that he was born on 06 Jun 1819 in Kent
but the 1861 Canadian census contradicts this). His wife Ida Marie Wolff
(daughter of Moritz Wolff and Fanny Maria Schwabe) would have been 27 in 1861 which
means she was born in 1834 in Hamburg, Germany. (pictured right)
Also listed on the census is Eliza May who would be 32 in 1861 and was thus born in
1829 in England. We can assume Eliza is a sister of Thomas. Fred May also
appears on the census. He is Thomas and Eliza May's brother and he would be 22
in 1861 which means he was born in 1839 (not 1842 as previously thought) in
England.
Thomas May and Ida Wolff married and according to the 1861 census had the
following children:
1. Alice May born in Montreal, Canada, and was aged 6 years in 1861 and so she was born in
1855.
2. Frank May born in Hamburg, Germany, and was aged 4 years in 1861 and so born in 1857.
3. Gustave May born in Montreal, Canada, and was aged 3 years in 1861 and so born in 1858.
4. Florence Eliza May was born on 12 May 1859 in Montreal, Canada.
There are three May children not listed on the 1861 Canadian census: Sydney,
Evelyn (Effie), and our direct ancestor Eleanor May who was born on 12 Mar 1864
in Montreal, Canada. We can assume that Sydney and Effie were also born after
1861. The May family cannot be found on the 1871 census for Canada and so we can assume
that sometime between 1864 and 1871 they left Canada for Germany.
Also listed on the census is Otto Wolff aged 21 in 1861 and thus born in 1840 in
Hamburg. We can assume Otto is the brother of Ida.
The family is living in a two story brick house on a quarter of an acre of land
with three servants.
Also found are two christening record entries for St George's church Montreal.
1. Gustave son of Thomas May & of Ida Marie Wolff his wife was born on the
Fifteenth [?] day of February Eighteen Hundred and Fifty Eight was Baptized on
the Twenty Third Day of March [?] of the same Year. (To view the entry
click here)
[Signed] By [?]
Parents names:
Thomas May
Ida Fanny [?] May
Sponsors:
(There are some names that cannot be distinguished - 'Charles May by Proxy Thomas
May' [?])
2. Florence Eliza May daughter of Thomas May & of Ida Marie Wolff his wife was
born on the Twelfth day of November Eighteen Hundred & Fifty Nine and was
Baptised on the Thirteenth day of May Eighteen Hundred & Twenty. (To
view the entry
click here)
By Me William Bond
Parents names:
Ida Marie May
Thomas May
Sponsors:
Richard Wolff [brother of Ida Marie]
Eliza Amelia May [sister of Thomas]
Ida Marie May
