Wilfred Grenfell
Encyclopedia
Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell, KCMG (28 Feb 1865 – 9 Oct 1940) was a medical missionary
to Newfoundland and Labrador
.
He was born at Parkgate
, Wirral, England, the son of Algernon Grenfell, headmaster of Mostyn House School, and Jane Georgiana Hutchison and married Anne Elizabeth Caldwell MacClanahan of Chicago
, Illinois
, in 1909. She died in 1938. They had three children and retired to Vermont
after his work in Newfoundland.
in 1882. He then commenced the study of medicine at the London Hospital Medical College (now part of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry) under the tutelage of Sir Frederick Treves
: he graduated in 1888. His immediate family came from Rugby, Warwickshire.
The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen sent Grenfell to Newfoundland in 1892 to improve the plight of coastal inhabitants and fishermen. That mission began in earnest in 1893 when he recruited two nurses and two doctors for hospitals at Indian Harbour, Newfoundland and later opened cottage hospitals along the coast of Labrador. The mission expanded greatly from its initial mandate to one of developing schools, an orphanage, cooperatives, industrial work projects, and social work. Although originally founded to serve the local fishermen the mission developed to include the aboriginal peoples and settlers along the coasts of Labrador and the eastern side of the Great Northern Peninsula
of northern Newfoundland. For his years of service on behalf of the people of these communities he was later knighted. He had two sons and a daughter. Grenfell died of a coronary thrombosis at Kinloch House on 9 October 1940, and his ashes were brought to St Anthony, where they were placed inside a rock face overlooking the harbour.
from Norway to provide food and serve as draft animals in Newfoundland. Unbeknownst to him, some of the animals carried a parasitic roundworm, Elaphostrongylus rangiferi, that then spread to native caribou herds. The reindeer herd eventually disappeared, however, the parasite took hold and causes cerebrospinal elaphostronglyosis (CSE) in caribou, a disease well known in reindeer in Scandinavia.
, Newfoundland and Labrador
. The home has been restored as a museum and archives. The Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell Historical Society with the support of Provincial Government and the International Grenfell Association began construction of an interpretation centre in St. Antony and it was opened in 1997. This facility added to the existing house and serves to promote the legacy to thousands of visitors each year. The Grenfell Interpretation Centre also is used by other organizations for meetings and events. A large interpretive display is housed there and provides historical background surrounding the work of Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell.
's Doctor Luke of the Labrador (1904) and Dr. Tocsin in White Eskimo by Harold Horwood
(1972).
A biography for children (middle-high school) was written in 1942, by Genevieve Fox. Published by Thomas Y Crowell Company. The book had second and third printings as well.
He is ascribed with the quote:
"The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth. It is obvious that man is himself a traveler; that the purpose of this world is not 'to have and to hold' but 'to give and serve.' There can be no other meaning."
' created for him by Walter Haythornthwaite.
on October 9
In 1979, the Corner Brook
campus of Memorial University of Newfoundland
was renamed Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in his honour. In 2010, following a debate to rename this campus, the name Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland
was chosen, to reflect the campus' ties to the spirit of Sir Wilfred Grenfell's legacy.
, Deep-Sea Doctor: Wilfred Grenfell. London: Edinburgh House Press, 1940
Ronald Rompkey, "Grenfell of Labrador: A Biography". Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1991
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to Newfoundland and Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
.
He was born at Parkgate
Parkgate, Cheshire
Parkgate is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, in the part that lies in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the North West of England...
, Wirral, England, the son of Algernon Grenfell, headmaster of Mostyn House School, and Jane Georgiana Hutchison and married Anne Elizabeth Caldwell MacClanahan of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, in 1909. She died in 1938. They had three children and retired to Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
after his work in Newfoundland.
Medical education and mission work
Grenfell moved to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1882. He then commenced the study of medicine at the London Hospital Medical College (now part of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry) under the tutelage of Sir Frederick Treves
Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet
Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet, GCVO, CH, CB was a prominent British surgeon of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, now most famous for his friendship with Joseph Merrick, "the Elephant Man".-Eminent surgeon:...
: he graduated in 1888. His immediate family came from Rugby, Warwickshire.
The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen sent Grenfell to Newfoundland in 1892 to improve the plight of coastal inhabitants and fishermen. That mission began in earnest in 1893 when he recruited two nurses and two doctors for hospitals at Indian Harbour, Newfoundland and later opened cottage hospitals along the coast of Labrador. The mission expanded greatly from its initial mandate to one of developing schools, an orphanage, cooperatives, industrial work projects, and social work. Although originally founded to serve the local fishermen the mission developed to include the aboriginal peoples and settlers along the coasts of Labrador and the eastern side of the Great Northern Peninsula
Great Northern Peninsula
The Great Northern Peninsula is the largest and longest peninsula of the island of Newfoundland, Canada, approximately 225 km long and 80 km wide at its widest point and encompassing an area of 17,483 km²...
of northern Newfoundland. For his years of service on behalf of the people of these communities he was later knighted. He had two sons and a daughter. Grenfell died of a coronary thrombosis at Kinloch House on 9 October 1940, and his ashes were brought to St Anthony, where they were placed inside a rock face overlooking the harbour.
Introduction of reindeer
In 1907 Grenfell imported a group of 300 reindeerReindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
from Norway to provide food and serve as draft animals in Newfoundland. Unbeknownst to him, some of the animals carried a parasitic roundworm, Elaphostrongylus rangiferi, that then spread to native caribou herds. The reindeer herd eventually disappeared, however, the parasite took hold and causes cerebrospinal elaphostronglyosis (CSE) in caribou, a disease well known in reindeer in Scandinavia.
International Grenfell Association
By 1914 the mission had gained international status. In order to manage its property and affairs, the International Grenfell Association, a non-profit mission society, was founded to support Grenfell's work. The Association operated, until 1981, as an NGO. It had responsibility for delivery of healthcare and social services in northern Newfoundland and Labrador. After 1981 a governmental agency, The Grenfell Regional Health Services Board, took over the operational responsibility. The International Grenfell Association, having divested itself of all properties and operational responsibility for health and social services, boarding schools, hospitals then became a supporting association making grants and funding scholarships for medical training.Historical Society
The Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell Historical Society was formed in 1978. The society purchased Grenfell's home in St. AnthonySt. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador
-Attractions:* Is a popular tourist destination known for its whale watching.Dr. Wilfred Grenfell's work in St. Anthony is commemorated by several historic sites and museums, including:...
, Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. The home has been restored as a museum and archives. The Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell Historical Society with the support of Provincial Government and the International Grenfell Association began construction of an interpretation centre in St. Antony and it was opened in 1997. This facility added to the existing house and serves to promote the legacy to thousands of visitors each year. The Grenfell Interpretation Centre also is used by other organizations for meetings and events. A large interpretive display is housed there and provides historical background surrounding the work of Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell.
Literary inspiration
A unique figure, Grenfell served to inspire at least two characters in Canadian literature: Dr. Luke in Norman DuncanNorman Duncan
Norman Duncan was an author, journalist and educator.Duncan was born in Brantford, Ontario, a son of Augustus and Susan Duncan. He was educated in the University of Toronto, graduating in 1895. At university, he was a friend of William Lyon Mackenzie King.From 1897 to 1901 Duncan was on the staff...
's Doctor Luke of the Labrador (1904) and Dr. Tocsin in White Eskimo by Harold Horwood
Harold Horwood
Harold Andrew Horwood, CM was a Newfoundland and Labrador novelist and non-fiction writer and onetime politician. He was a Member of the Order of Canada.-Early life:...
(1972).
A biography for children (middle-high school) was written in 1942, by Genevieve Fox. Published by Thomas Y Crowell Company. The book had second and third printings as well.
He is ascribed with the quote:
"The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth. It is obvious that man is himself a traveler; that the purpose of this world is not 'to have and to hold' but 'to give and serve.' There can be no other meaning."
Grenfell Cloth
Grenfell named the 600 thread-per-inch woven Egyptian cotton material 'Grenfell ClothGrenfell Cloth
Grenfell Cloth is a close woven cotton material used to make outdoor clothing from its creation in 1923 until the late 20th century. It was named for Sir Wilfred Grenfell a medical missionary in Newfoundland...
' created for him by Walter Haythornthwaite.
Veneration
Grenfell is honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA)Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church in the United States of America)
The veneration of saints in the Episcopal Church is a continuation of an ancient tradition from the early Church which honors important people of the Christian faith. The usage of the term "saint" is similar to Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Those in the Anglo-Catholic tradition may...
on October 9
Awards
- Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George - 1907
- Honorary Doctorate of Medicine, University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
– 1907 (first ever granted) - Murchison Prize, Royal Geographical SocietyRoyal Geographical SocietyThe Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
- 1911 (awarded for his charts of Labrador) - Knighthood - 1927 (recognition of medical, educational and social work)
- Honorary Knight for Life, Loyal Knights of the Round Table, Fifth Rank - 1928 (for great service to humanity)
- Induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of FameCanadian Medical Hall of FameThe Canadian Medical Hall of Fame is a Canadian charitable organization, founded in 1994, that honours Canadians who have contributed to the understanding of disease and improving the health of people. It has a museum in London, Ontario, and has an annual induction ceremony.-2012:*Terry Fox*John...
- 1997
In 1979, the Corner Brook
Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
Corner Brook is a city located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada....
campus of Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
was renamed Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in his honour. In 2010, following a debate to rename this campus, the name Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Grenfell Campus, formerly referred to as Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, is a Canadian liberal arts and science university located in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador....
was chosen, to reflect the campus' ties to the spirit of Sir Wilfred Grenfell's legacy.
See also
- International Grenfell AssociationInternational Grenfell AssociationThe International Grenfell Association is an organization founded by Sir Wilfred Grenfell to provide health care, education, religious services, and rehabilitation and other social activities to the fisherman and costal communities in northern Newfoundland and the coast of Labrador.The IGA was...
- Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of NewfoundlandGrenfell Campus, Memorial University of NewfoundlandGrenfell Campus, formerly referred to as Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, is a Canadian liberal arts and science university located in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador....
- Grenfell College Student Union
Biography
Joyce ReasonJoyce Reason
Joyce Reason was a British author of missionary biographies and historical fiction for young readers.- Life and Works :Joyce Reason was born in Canning Town, London...
, Deep-Sea Doctor: Wilfred Grenfell. London: Edinburgh House Press, 1940
Ronald Rompkey, "Grenfell of Labrador: A Biography". Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1991
External links
- Grenfell Museum Properties
- International Grenfell Association
- Grenfell Photo Exhibit
- Town of St. Anthony - Grenfell's Town
- Works by Wilfred Grenfell available from Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
- Timothy Clark's YouTube video featuring the Sharecroppers' song lyrics - a great tribute to Grenfell
- http://www.craftcouncil.nl.ca/magazine/content.asp?id=2&con=411
- http://www.wikiwix.com/export/export.php?backend=html&url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rug%20hooking
- Wilfred Grenfell entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia