A West African of the Yoruba tribe, he was sold into slavery at the age of 8, but rescued by a British cruiser. Landing in Sierra Leone in 1827, he was placed in a government school, made rapid progress and became a teacher. Converted in 1835, he joined the Methodist society in Freetown, taught in the Sunday School and became a class leader and local preacher. In 1840 he was sent to England for further training and on his return established a school at Newtown West (now Buxton). He was accepted for the ministry in 1848, served on M'Carthy's Island, Gambia for five years and then returned to Sierra Leone, where he had charge of the Native Training Institute at King Tom's Point. He retired in 1875 and died on 8 March 1891.
His son Joseph Claudius May (1845-1902; e.m. 1875) was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone on 14 August 1845. Converted at the age of 14, he became a prayer leader and Sunday School teacher and, in 1864, a local preacher on trial. In 1865 he was sent to England for education at the Borough Road Training College and Queen's College, Taunton. He took an external degree at London University and taught for two years at Westminster Training College. Returning to Sierra Leone in 1871 he was a schools inspector until appointed the first Principal of the Boys High School, Freetown, in 1874. Described as 'kind, tactful, endlessly patient, an inspiring teacher who won the affection of staff and pupils, and an efficient manager', he saw the school grow from 8 to about 200 pupils and his influence extended throughout West Africa.
Having entered the ministry in 1875, for 16 successive years he was secretary of the District Synod. With his brother Cornelius he founded the Freetown Methodist Herald. Shortly after his retirement in 1902 he suffered a paralytic stroke and died on 24 October that year.