Theresa May and James May are two well-known British personalities who have made their mark in the fields of politics and television, respectively. Theresa May served as the prime minister of the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2019, while James May is best known as a co-presenter of the motoring show Top Gear and its successor The Grand Tour. But are they related by blood or by name?
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The Family Background of Theresa May
Theresa Mary May was born on October 1, 1956 in Eastbourne, Sussex. She is the only child of Zaidee Mary (née Barnes) and Hubert Brasier, who was a Church of England clergyman and an Anglo-Catholic. She grew up in rural Oxfordshire and attended both state-run and private schools before studying geography at St Hugh’s College, Oxford. She married Philip May, a banker, in 1980 and they have no children.
According to her official biography on the UK government website, Theresa May has no known relatives with the surname May. Her paternal grandparents were Tom Brasier and Amy Patterson, while her maternal grandparents were Reginald Barnes and Edith Snelling. Her ancestry can be traced back to England, Scotland, and Ireland.
The Family Background of James May
James Daniel May was born on January 16, 1963 in Bristol, England. He is one of four children of James May Sr. and Kathleen May. He spent his teenage years in South Yorkshire, where he attended Oakwood Comprehensive School in Rotherham and was a choirboy at Whiston Parish Church. He studied music at Pendle College, Lancaster University, where he learned to play the flute and piano. He has been in a relationship with Sarah Frater, a dance critic, since 2000.
According to his Wikipedia page, James May has two sisters and a brother. His paternal grandparents were Daniel May and Norah Faulkner, while his maternal grandparents were Frederick Brown and Edith Walker. His ancestry can be traced back to England and Wales.
The Verdict: No Relation
Based on the available information, it is clear that Theresa May and James May are not related by blood or by name. They share a common surname, but it is a very common one in Britain. According to the Office for National Statistics, May was the 69th most common surname in England and Wales in 2011, with over 114,000 people bearing it.
Therefore, the rumour that Theresa May and James May are siblings or cousins is false. They have never met each other, as far as we know, and they have no family connection whatsoever. They are simply two successful individuals who happen to have the same last name.
