George Edward Shea (July 4, 1851 – September 13, 1932) was a

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

politician who served as the first mayor of St. John's,

(present-day

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

, Canada). The son of Gertrude Corbett and Edward D. Shea, he was born in St. John's and was educated there and at

Ampleforth College Ampleforth College is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in the English public school tradition located in the village of Ampleforth, North Yorkshire, England. It opened in 1802 as a boys' school, it is situated in the groun ...

in England. He was married twice: first to Louisa Catherine Pinsent in 1888 and then to Margaret Rendell in 1900. In 1870, Shea became a clerk in the family business, Shea and Company. The company was shipping agent for the

Allan Line The Allan Shipping Line was started in 1819, by Alexander Allan (ship-owner), Captain Alexander Allan of Saltcoats, Ayrshire, trading and transporting between Scotland and Montreal, a route which quickly became synonymous with the Allan Line. By th ...

of Royal Mail Steamships and the Ross Steamship Line. In 1887, when his uncle

Ambrose Shea Sir Ambrose Shea (17 September 1815 – 30 July 1905) was a political and business figure in colonial Newfoundland who later served as Governor of the Bahamas. He was one of two Newfoundland delegates to the Quebec Conference that led to Ca ...

was appointed governor of the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

, George replaced him as the firm's managing partner. He was later an agent for the North British Mercantile Insurance Company and a member of the Newfoundland Board of Revenue. In 1885, Shea ran for the

Ferryland Ferryland is a town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the Avalon Peninsula. According to the 2021 Statistics Canada census, its population is 371. Seventeenth century settlement Ferryland was originally established as a station for migratory fis ...

seat in the Newfoundland assembly as a Liberal; his father had also represented Ferryland in the assembly. He was elected by acclamation as a supporter of Ambrose Shea, who led the Catholic-Liberal party in a highly

sectarian Sectarianism is a political or cultural conflict between two groups which are often related to the form of government which they live under. Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred can arise in these conflicts, depending on the political status quo ...

contest. Shea was re-elected as an independent in 1889, but was defeated by Liberal candidates Michael Cashin and

Daniel J. Greene Daniel Joseph Greene (1850 – December 12, 1911) was a Newfoundland politician who briefly served as the colony's Premier. A native of St. John's, he studied law at Laval University and became a lawyer. Daniel Greene was first elected to t ...

in 1893. Again elected to the Newfoundland assembly for

in 1897, Shea served for two years as

minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet w ...

in the government of Sir

James Spearman Winter Sir James Spearman Winter, (1 January 1845 – 6 October 1911) was a Newfoundland politician and Premier. Life Winter served in the Conservative government of Sir William Whiteway as Solicitor-General from 1882 to 1885 when he resigned alo ...

. He did not run for reelection to the assembly in 1900. In 1902 Shea was elected as the first mayor of St. John's. During his term, he improved the water system and helped bring the city's finances under control. Shea served as mayor until 1906, when he was defeated by lawyer Michael Gibbs. He had meanwhile re-entered the

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...

in 1904 as the Liberal representative for the district of

St. John's East St. John's East (french: St. John's-Est; formerly known as St. John's North) is a federal electoral district in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1949. It covers a part of St ...

. He served as minister without portfolio in the government of Sir

Robert Bond Sir Robert Bond (25 February 1857 – 16 March 1927) was the last Premier of Newfoundland Colony from 1900 to 1907 and the first prime minister of the Dominion of Newfoundland from 1907 to 1909 after the 1907 Imperial Conference conferred do ...

from 1904 to 1909 and was re-elected in 1908 and 1909. After Bond decided against a return to politics in 1917 and 1918, Shea endorsed

Richard Squires Sir Richard Anderson Squires KCMG (January 18, 1880 – March 26, 1940) was the Prime Minister of Newfoundland from 1919 to 1923 and from 1928 to 1932. As prime minister, Squires attempted to reform Newfoundland's fishing industry, but failed at ...

and the Liberal Reform Party. Shea retired from business in 1919 and the following year was appointed by Squires to the Legislative Council. He occasionally served as acting

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

in Squire's absence. He also served on the board of governors of the

Newfoundland Savings Bank Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

and as chair of the Permanent Marine Disasters Fund Committee. Shea died in St. John's at the age of 81.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shea, George 1851 births Members of the Legislative Council of Newfoundland Mayors of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 1932 deaths People educated at Ampleforth College Newfoundland People's Party politicians Newfoundland Colony people Government ministers of the Dominion of Newfoundland