Hubert May died in London after a long illness, on January 16th, 1931, at the age of 51.
He was trained as a mechanical engineer with Messrs John Penn & Sons, of Greenwich. In 1898, he turned his attention to what afterwards was his speciality, drilling, and carrying out exploration for coal on behalf of the Kent Coal Exploration Syndicate. In 1899 he was in charge of prospecting operations in Serbia, boring for gold, and in the following year he was engaged on boring operations in various parts of England for the Calyx Drill Co.
In 1901 he entered into a five years’ association with Messrs. Nobel Bros., as a drilling specialist, and district manager, of the Petroleum Production Co., at Baku. In 1908 he joined the firm of Messrs. Thompson & Hunter, consulting petroleum mining engineers, as senior engineer. Nine years later he became technical representative and manager to Mr. A. Beeby Thompson, and in 1919 entered into partnership with Mr. Thompson, under the style of A. Beeby Thompson & Partners, specializing in drilling methods and problems. He was also closely associated with various Government water-supply schemes in British Guiana and other parts of the British Empire.
Mr. May was elected a Member of the Institution in 1920.
Vol. 41, Trans IMM 1931-32, p.658
