May Street takes its name according to Carson after Edward May who was a land agent for the Donegall Estate. He was an MP in the last parliament Ireland in 1800 before the Union of Great Britain and Ireland. He continued as the member for Belfast in the Parliament from 1801 to 1814. He also served as Sovereign of Belfast (an earlier title for the mayor) from 1803 to 1806 and 1809 to 1810. It was May who secured a lease of land and established markets. Great Edward Street which was merged with Victoria Street was called after him. May Street was built in the 1820s. It is included in the list of streets in the Belfast Directory 1831-1832. The 1839 edition of Martin’s Belfast Directory lists people living here. “Resolved that the street from Rev Dr Crook’s church on the one side and the Music Hall on the other, to the river shall be called May Street and that the street from Arthur Street to Donegall Square East be named Clarence Place”. (12th March 1863).