John May (shipwright)

John May was an English shipwright. In 1727 the Amsterdam Admiralty, the largest of the six Dutch Chambers that made up the Dutch East India Company, brought in May, Charles Bentham and Thomas Davis to work for them in improving ship design and avoiding the succession of wrecks they had recently suffered.

May's designs, listed at <http://3decks.pbworks.com/f/Dutch+Navy+1700-1799.pdf>, are:

1) Alphen, 6th charter, admiralty Amsterdam, built by May at naval yard at Amsterdam 1766, exploded in battle 1778. Dimensions (Amsterdam foot) 139 8/11 (lower deck) x 37 8/11 x 15 8/11, 36 guns.

2) 5th charter Argo, admiralty Amsterdam, built by May, on stocks at naval yard at Amsterdam 14 December 1771, launched 9 December 1772, sold ?1785-1787

3) Alarm, 7th charter, admiralty Amsterdam, built by John May, on stocks at naval yard at Amsterdam 14 August 1773, launched 22 July 1774, captured by British 1799?. Dimensions (Amsterdam foot) 125 7/11 x 34 x 13 2/11, 24 guns, 150 men.

4) 3rd charter Admiraal de Ruyter, admiralty Amsterdam, on stocks at Amsterdam 22 July 1777, launched 13 November 1778, builder May, captured by British. Dimensions 167½ x 46 9/11 x 20½, 60-68 guns, 350-450 men, 1264e tons.

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