May Maxwell

May Maxwell, 1923 in Egypt with her daughter Mary.

Mary "May" Maxwell (née Bolles) (14 January 1870, Englewood, New Jersey — 1 March 1940, Buenos Aires), an early American member of the Bahá'í Faith.

Early life

Mary Ellis Bolles was the only daughter of John Bolles and Mary Martin Bolles, and was born in Englewood, New Jersey. She lived in the home of her grandfather, who was a distinguished New York banker. Her family was an affluent one of English origin. Mary's parents were part of the upper-crust of New York society, mixing with millionaires such as Phoebe Hearst.

As a young girl she made many visits to Paris and became very fond of the city. She eventually moved to the city whilst her brother Randolph was attending the École des Beaux-Arts.

Pilgrimage to Acre

In 1898 whilst in Paris May became acquainted with Phoebe Hearst through her mother who was chaperoning Hearst’s nieces. Hearing that Hearst was sojourning to the East, May asked if she could accompany, and Hearst accepted. It was in February 1899 that the first group of Western pilgrims met `Abdu'l-Bahá. May wrote that "of that first meeting I can remember neither joy nor pain nor anything that I can name".

As a Bahá’í

May returned to Paris and began teaching her new faith. Her teaching acquired many new believers including Englishman Thomas Breakwell, and Juliet Thompson. On her return five of the younger female pilgrims had a photograph commissioned and sent to `Abdu'l-Bahá. On recieving the photograph he wrote a tablet addressed to the five whom he named the Five Holy Leaves. She met a close friend of her brothers, William Sutherland Maxwell, a Canadian of Scottish background and the two married in 1902 in London. William did not become a Bahá'í until 1909. The couple had one child, a daughter named Mary.

The couple moved to Montreal and May set up a Bahá’í center in her home. Prior to 1912, she supported a Children’s Court for Montreal, and her efforts were chief in maintaining the Colborne Street Milk Station. In about 1914, she brought a Montessori teacher from New York to their home in Montreal to start the first school of this type in Canada. In Montreal May continued to convert people such as Arthur Armstrong, Rose Henderson and her husband’s cousin Martha MacBean. In 1912 `Abdu'l-Bahá visited Canada and stayed with the Maxwell’s. She was an early participant at Green Acre, the first Bahá'í training facility in the United States. In 1927 she was a member of the US and Canada National Spiritual Assembly.

In 1937 her life changed dramatically after her daughter Mary was married to Shoghi Effendi the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith.

Death

Despite poor healthy May chose to go to Buenos Aires to teach the Faith along with her niece. However whilst arriving, May fell ill and died of a heart attack. Shoghi Effendi gave her the status of martyr.