Dr. James Rundlet May and Mary Morison May

James Rundlet May (1841-1918) and Mary Ann Morison (1844-1936) made many personal touches to the house that can still be seen today, including Mary’s attention to the gardens. James Rundlet May was the son of Louisa Catherine Rundlet May. He was a doctor and practiced out of the family home during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, working as an assistant surgeon in the Navy during the Civil War. James Rundlet May loved dogs and the family had several dogs in the household; he also co-founded New Hampshire’s chapter of the SPCA and served as its director and president. In 1881, he married Mary Ann Morison who grew up in the Lord family home in Portsmouth, now known as the John Paul Jones House. Her influence on the gardens were substantial; she updated the flower varieties while preserving the original paths first laid out by James and Jane Rundlet when the house was built.