Ruth May was born in
Westbury, Wiltshire, England to James May and Mary Ann ( Harding) May. Her father worked in a mine and a factory. Though they were not educated, May's parents were religious. They converted to
Mormonism when May was five months old. May's mother then died in childbirth when she was 16 months old. Saxton had a daughter May's age named Clara, and the two became friends. As an older child, May enjoyed reciting poetry and telling stories and working alongside Clara Saxton. After her father refused to give her permission to work in a factory, May assisted the Saxtons in performing various chores around the boarding house. In 1865, James May emigrated to the
United States and shortly thereafter sent for Ruth, Mrs. Saxton, and Clara. On their arrival in
Philadelphia, James May married Mrs. Saxton, and he and the two girls found work in a textile mill to save money to go to
Utah Territory. In 1867 the May family traveled by covered wagon and on foot to
Salt Lake City with Leonard Rice's company. After settling in the
Ogden area, Ruth attended John Morgan's College in Salt Lake City for four months. When her father bought a mill in Salt Lake City, Ruth worked for him operating equipment usually run by men. She felt that she should be paid a man's wages for the job; she was paid a lower wage as a woman. ==Family==