John Joyner May Family Papers
1868-1930, undated
Manuscript Collection #1504- Creator(s)
- May, John Joyner
- Physical description
- 0.25 Cubic Feet
- Preferred Citation
- John Joyner May Family Papers (#1504), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
- Repository
- ECU Manuscript Collection
- Access
- This collection is open for research.
The John Joyner May Family Papers document the personal and financial activities of John Joyner May and his family in eastern North Carolina from 1868 to 1930. The collection consists of correspondence, receipts, invoices, legal documents, and printed materials that reflect local commerce, credit relationships, and family life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Notable items include a chattel mortgage agreement, a post Civil War bankruptcy discharge, business correspondence with regional merchants, and ephemera related to insurance and local publications. The materials provide insight into rural economic practices and community networks in Pitt County and the surrounding region.
Biographical/historical information
John Joyner May (1848–1926) was a resident of Pitt County, North Carolina, and the son of William Henry May (1807–1888) and Mary Tyson. John Joyner May is also the great-grandson of Revolutionary War officer, Benjamin May. During the American Civil War, May served as a private in Company C of the 67th North Carolina Infantry. Following his military service, May lived in Pitt County and was involved in local agricultural and commercial activities.
May would marry the former Georgia Ann Kittrell (1850-1927) of Pitt County, North Carolina. The couple would go on to have five children, Ella Virginia May (1875-1961), William Samuel May (1877-1947), John Robert May (1879-1951), Fannie Randolph May Gardner (1881-1956), and Hazard Henry May (1894-1968).
John Joyner May died on January 9, 1926 and is interred at the John J. May Family Cemetery in Winterville, North Carolina.
Scope and arrangement
The John Joyner May Family Papers consist of a small body of manuscript materials documenting the personal, financial, and commercial activities of John Joyner May and members of the May family in eastern North Carolina from approximately 1868 to 1930, with the bulk of the materials dating from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The collection includes legal and financial documents, business correspondence, receipts, invoices, printed materials, and ephemera that collectively illustrate patterns of rural commerce, credit, and family life in Pitt County and the surrounding region.
Financial records form a substantial portion of the collection and include receipts, invoices, insurance assessments, and payment notices spanning several decades. These materials document May's interactions with local merchants and service providers, including general merchandise firms and regional businesses. Legal and contractual documents are also present, most notably a chattel mortgage agreement dated 1882 and a certificate of bankruptcy discharge from 1868, providing insight into economic conditions and credit relationships in the post Civil War period.
Correspondence within the collection consists of both personal and business related letters addressed to John Joyner May and his family members, including Ella Virginia May. These letters reflect commercial transactions, family communication, and community connections. Of particular note is a letter received by May shortly before his death in 1926, accompanied by a later annotation regarding its significance.
The collection also contains a small number of printed items and ephemera, including a pamphlet from a North Carolina insurance association, a late nineteenth century publication titled The Messenger—In Ashes, and a locally oriented printed piece addressed to the residents of Pitt County. These materials provide additional contextual evidence of regional concerns, economic networks, and public discourse.
The collection is arranged in a single series. Materials are organized at the folder level within one box and arranged in approximate chronological order, with some grouping by document type where appropriate.
Administrative information
Custodial History
Processing information
Processed by Patrick Cash, March 2026
Copyright notice
This material is made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to taking precautions against infringement of copyright and respecting the publication rights of reproduced materials. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards. Any materials used should be fully credited with their source according to the example given in the Preferred Citation note. Requests for assistance with citations and images of publication quality should be directed to specialcollections@ecu.libanswers.com. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state law. The user assumes full responsibility for using such information and is advised that the disclosure of such information about identifiable living individuals without their consent may have legal ramifications.
Metadata Rights Declaration
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