Baptist May (1628 – 1698) was a Royal courtier during the reign of Charles II of England. He is said to have been Charles's closest and most trusted servant, largely as a result of his knowledge that the king did not like to be approached on matters of business. A courtier is a person who attends upon, and thus receives a privileged position from, a powerful person, usually a head of state. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ...

May was born in Mid Lavant, the son of Sir Humphrey May, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and his second wife, Judith daughter of Sir William Poley. He was a cousin of Hugh May, the architect. Baptist was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber in 1662 and Keeper of the Privy Purse three years later, thanks to the influence of Charles's mistress, Barbara Palmer (née Villiers), Countess of Castlemaine. Castlemaine wanted to ensure that the Keeper was an ally; this would ensure that the payments due to her would become a high priority. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a sinecure office in the British government. ... Hugh May (1621-1684) was an English architect. ... Events February 1 - The Chinese pirate Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege. ... The Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the Queen is responsible for the financial management of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. ... Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine Barbara Villiers (November 1640 - October 9, 1709), Duchess of Cleveland, was one of the most notorious of Charles IIs mistresses. ...

He was nominated by James, Duke of York, the future James II as MP for Winchelsea; however, he lost the election. He joined the Countess of Castlemaine to bring down Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon in 1667. However, Clarendon's downfall was attributed to his lack of support for the Anglo-Dutch war, so it is unlikely that either Castlemaine or May were major contributors. James II of England/VII of Scotland (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) became King of Scots, King of England, and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685, and Duke of Normandy on 31 December 1660. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Winchelsea is a small town in East Sussex, England, between the High Weald and the Romney Marsh. ... Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (18 February 1609–9 December 1674) was an English historian, statesman and grandfather of two queens regnant, Mary II and Anne. ...

Despite being Keeper of the Privy Purse, May did not enjoy control over the king's private finances. Surviving documents show that the payments by May were routine payments. However, he enjoyed the king's confidence throughout his reign, despite May's offhand remarks. For example, according to Clarendon's biography, after the Great Fire of London in 1666, he remarked that it was welcomed, to make the city more controllable. This shocked those around him, including the king. The Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the Queen is responsible for the financial management of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. ... Detail of painting from 1666 of the Great Fire of London by an unknown artist, depicting the fire as it would have appeared on the evening of Tuesday, 4 September from a boat in the vicinity of Tower Wharf. ... 1666 is often called Annus Mirabilis. ...

Another test of their friendship began in 1679. As a result of Titus Oates's claims that several Catholic members of the Royal Household were plotting to kill the king and put his Catholic brother on the throne, there was a wave of anti-Catholicism throughout England. The Whig faction in parliament, led by the Earl of Shaftesbury and the Duke of Buckingham, was pressing the king to divorce his barren queen, Catherine of Braganza, and remarry to produce a protestant heir. May was one of the Whig supporters, and narrowly escaped dismissal from his office in the bedchamber as a result. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In all the medieval monarchies of western Europe the general system of government sprang from, and centred in, the royal household. ... In politics, the term whig for political groupings has its origins in a term of abuse used by opponents of the Presbyterian Covenanters who marched from the south west of Scotland on Edinburgh in 1648 in what became known as the Whiggamore Raid, with the terms Whiggamore and Whig subsequently... A rough picture of Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury (July 22, 1621 – January 21, 1683) was a prominent English politician of the Interregnum and during the reign of King Charles II. Cooper, born in the county of Dorset, suffered the death of both... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Barren as a place name can refer to: Barren County, Kentucky Barren Island (Andaman Islands) Barren Island, Brooklyn Barren River Lake Barren can also refer to: Barren County (album) Barren County Progress Barren Realms Elite Barren Strawberry Cape Barren Goose barrenness or infertility Category: ... Catherine of Braganza (November 25, 1638 – November 30, 1705) (Catherine Henrietta, Portuguese: Catarina Henriqueta de Bragança), was the queen consort of King Charles II of England. ...

After Charles's death in 1685, James came to the throne as James II. May was dismissed from the office of Keeper of the Privy Purse. However, he remained Ranger of Windsor Great Park, and continued to live at what later became known as Cumberland Lodge, until his death. James II of England/VII of Scotland (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) became King of Scots, King of England, and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685, and Duke of Normandy on 31 December 1660. ... The Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the Queen is responsible for the financial management of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. ... Built 1650 in Windsor Great Park, south of Royal Lodge, Cumberland Lodge was called Byfield House till 1670. ...

External links

• Royal Berkshire History:Baptist May