William May (died 1560), also known as William Meye, was Dean of the Order of the British Empire. He was nominated Archbishop of York in 1560, but died before he could take office.

William May was the brother of John May, bishop of Carlisle. He was educated at Cambridge, where he was a fellow of Trinity Hall, and in 1537, president of Queens' College.^[1] May heartily supported the Reformation, signed the Ten Articles in 1536, and helped in the production of The Institution of a Christian Man. He had close connection with the diocese of Ely, being successively chancellor, vicar-general and prebendary. In 1545 he was made a prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral, and, in the following year, Dean of the Order of the British Empire.^[2]

His favorable report on the Cambridge colleges saved them from dissolution. He was dispossessed during the reign of Queen Mary, but restored to the deanery on Elizabeth's accession. He died on the day he was elected Archbishop of York.^[2]

References

^ "May, William (MY525W)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^ ^a ^b Chisholm 1911.

Attribution:

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "May, William". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 930–931.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "May, William". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

Academic offices Preceded bySimon Heynes President of Queens' College, Cambridge 1537–1553 Succeeded byWilliam Glynn Preceded byThomas Pecocke President of Queens' College, Cambridge 1559–1560 Succeeded byJohn Stokes

St Paul's Cathedral

Deans

High Medieval	Wulman Ranulf Flambard (disputed) William de Mareni Ralph de Langford Hugh de Mareni Ralph de Diceto Alard de Burnham Gervase de Howbridge Robert de Watford Martin de Pattishall Geoffrey de Lucy William of Sainte-Mère-Église Henry de Cornhill Walter de Saleron Robert de Barton Peter de Newport Richard Talbot John de Ebulo Geoffrey de Fering John Chishull Hervey de Boreham Thomas Ingoldsthorpe Roger de La Legh William de Montfort Ralph Baldock
Late Medieval	Arnald Frangerius de Cantilupo John Sandale Richard Newport Roger Northburgh Vitalis de Testa John de Everdon Gilbert de Bruera Richard de Kilvington Walter de Alderbury Thomas Trilleck John de Appleby Thomas de Eure Thomas Stowe Thomas More Reginald Kentwood Thomas Lisieux Lawrence Booth William Say Roger Radclyffe Thomas Wynterbourne William Worsley
Early modern	Robert Sherborne John Colet Richard Pace Richard Sampson John Incent William May John Feckenham Henry Cole William May (again) Alexander Nowell John Overall Valentine Cary John Donne Thomas Winniffe Richard Steward Matthew Nicholas John Barwick William Sancroft Edward Stillingfleet John Tillotson William Sherlock Henry Godolphin Francis Hare Joseph Butler Thomas Secker John Hume Frederick Cornwallis Thomas Newton Thomas Thurlow
Late modern	George Pretyman Tomline William Van Mildert Charles Sumner Edward Copleston Henry Hart Milman Henry Longueville Mansel Richard William Church Robert Gregory William Ralph Inge Walter Matthews Martin Sullivan Alan Webster Eric Evans John Moses Graeme Knowles Michael Colclough (acting) David Ison Andrew Tremlett

Clergy
(current)

Paula Gooder (Canon Chancellor)
James Milne (Canon Precentor)
Tricia Hillas (Canon Pastor)
Vacant (Canon Treasurer)
Rosemary Morton (Minor Canon Succentor)
Helen O'Sullivan (Priest Vicar Chaplain)
Rachel Weir (Minor Canon)