William May Jr. was a resident of Pitt County. In 1777 he was approached by William Tyler and offered to take an oath of secrecy and join the Gourd Patch Conspiracy, which he did. In June 1777 Robert Salter arrested him and deposed him, making May's testimony among the first that revealed the plot. Not long after Tyler was arrested, John Lewellen met with some members of the plot in the Gourd Patch to plan how to break May and Tyler out of prison. Before they could implement their plan, however, the plot was discovered and its leading associators fled or were arrested.