Wilfred Thomason Grenfell
Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell was a notable physician and missionary born on February 28, 1865, in Parkgate, Cheshire, England. He trained in medicine at the London Hospital Medical College and began his mission work with North Sea fishermen before relocating to Labrador, Canada, in 1892. Grenfell dedicated his efforts to improving the living conditions of local fishermen, Indigenous peoples, and settlers, advocating for health and education through the establishment of hospitals, nursing stations, and schools. He founded the King George V Seamen's Institute in 1912 and the International Grenfell Association in 1914, significantly impacting community welfare in Newfoundland and Labrador. Known for his commitment to service, he traveled regularly aboard the hospital ship Strathcona Two to maintain his outreach. In addition to his humanitarian efforts, Grenfell published several works, including his autobiography, and received numerous honors, such as an honorary doctorate from Oxford University and a knighthood in 1927. He passed away on October 9, 1940, and was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 1997, underscoring his lasting legacy in medical and social reform.
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Wilfred Thomason Grenfell
- Born: February 28, 1865
- Birthplace: Parkgate, England
- Died: October 9, 1940
- Place of death: Charlotte, Vermont
Biography
Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell was born on February 28, 1865, in Parkgate, Cheshire, England. He was a physician and missionary. He moved to London in 1882 and studied medicine at the London Hospital Medical College, from which he graduated in 1888. After joining the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen and working as a missionary to North Sea fishermen, Grenfell moved to Labrador, Canada, in 1892.
Grenfell became devoted to improving living conditions of fishermen, aboriginal peoples, and settlers in Labrador and Newfoundland. He engaged in extensive missionary work, raising funds through speaking tours and books. In 1912 he founded the King George V Seamen’s Institute in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He started the International Grenfell Association in 1914, which helped build and establish hospitals, nursing stations, schools, hospitals, orphanages, and a cooperative lumber mill. He maintained contact with his various centers of missionary work by traveling aboard the hospital ship Strathcona Two each year.
Grenfell married Anne Elizabeth Caldwell MacClanahan of Chicago, Illinois, in 1909. They had three children together. He was awarded an honorary doctorate of medicine from Oxford University—the first ever granted—in 1907. He was knighted in 1927 in recognition of his extensive medical, educational, and social work. Grenfell published his autobiography, Forty Years for Labrador, in 1932, and his book The Romance of Labrador came out in 1934. Grenfell died on October 9, 1940, in Charlotte, Vermont. He was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 1997.