Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell (28 February 1865 – 9 October 1940) was a British medical

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

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 ...

, who wrote books on his work and other topics.

Early life and education

He was born at Parkgate, Cheshire, England, on 28 February 1865, the Son of Rev. Algernon Sidney Grenfell, headmaster of

Mostyn House School Mostyn House School was a school that was originally opened in Tarvin, and moved to Parkgate, Cheshire, in 1855. From 1862 until it closed in 2010, it was run by the Grenfell family, originally as a boys' boarding school, and latterly as a co-educ ...

, and Jane Georgiana Hutchison. Grenfell moved to London in 1882. He then commenced the study of medicine at the

London Hospital Medical College Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, commonly known as Barts or BL, is a medical school, medical and dental school in London, England. The school is part of Queen Mary University of London, a constituent college of the federal Un ...

(now part of

Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry , mottoeng = Temper the bitter things in life with a smile , parent = Queen Mary University of London , president = Lord Mayor of London , head_label = Warden , head = Mark Caulfield , students = 3,410 , undergrad = 2,23 ...

) under the tutelage of

Sir Frederick Treves Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet (15 February 1853 – 7 December 1923), was a prominent British surgeon, and an expert in anatomy. Treves was renowned for his surgical treatment of appendicitis, and is credited with saving the life of K ...

. He graduated in 1888.

Career

The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen Fishermen's Mission - the full name of which is The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen - is a British charitable organisation founded and run on Christian principles. The mission also welcomes the participation and support of persons of ...

sent Grenfell to

in 1892 to improve the plight of coastal inhabitants and fishermen. That mission began in earnest in 1892 when he recruited two nurses and two doctors for hospitals at Indian Harbour, Labrador 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 founded to serve the local area, the mission developed to include the aboriginal peoples and settlers along the coasts of Labrador and the eastern side of the

Great Northern Peninsula The Great Northern Peninsula (Inuttitut: ''Ikkarumiklua'') is the largest and longest peninsula of Newfoundland, Canada, approximately 270 km long and 90 km wide at its widest point and encompassing an area of 17,483 km2. It is de ...

of western Newfoundland. One of the children Grenfell assisted was an

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

girl, Kirkina, for whom he helped secure artificial limbs and later the

Grenfell Mission The Grenfell Mission was a philanthropic organization that provided medical and social services to people in rural communities of northern Newfoundland and Labrador. It was founded by Sir Wilfred Grenfell in 1892 as a branch of The Royal National Mi ...

educated her in nursing and midwifery. In 1907, Grenfell imported a group of 300

reindeer Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subspe ...

from Norway to provide food and serve as draft animals in Newfoundland. Unbeknownst to him, some of the animals carried a parasitic

roundworm The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a bro ...

, ''

Elaphostrongylus rangiferi ''Elaphostrongylus'' is a genus of parasitic nematodes in the family Protostrongylidae. Species * ''Elaphostrongylus cervi'' Cameron, 1931 * '' Elaphostrongylus panticola'' Lubinov, 1945 * '' Elaphostrongylus rangiferi'' Mitskevich, 1958 * '' ...

'', that then spread to native

caribou Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subspe ...

herds. The reindeer herd eventually disappeared; however, the parasite took hold and causes cerebrospinal elaphostrongylosis (CSE) in caribou, a disease well known in reindeer in Scandinavia. In 1908, Grenfell was on his way with his dogs to a Newfoundland village for a medical emergency when he got caught in "slob", from which he managed to get onto an ice-pan with the dogs. He was forced to sacrifice some of his dogs to make a warm, fur coat for himself. After drifting for several days without food or fresh water, he was rescued by some villagers in the area. Because of this experience he buried the dogs and put up a plaque saying, "Who gave their lives for me." By 1914 the mission had gained international status. In order to manage its property and affairs, the

International Grenfell Association The International Grenfell Association (IGA) 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 coastal communities in norther ...

, a non-profit mission society, was founded to support Grenfell's work. The Association operated until 1981, as an

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

. 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 and hospitals then became a supporting association making grants and funding scholarships for medical training. For his years of service on behalf of the people of these communities he was later knighted by the King in 1927. In 1931, Grenfell had a small speaking role in the film, The Viking, in which he narrated the film's prologue and gave a brief statement of the tragic circumstances involving the film's production. During the production of the film, which was filmed on location in Newfoundland, producer Varick Frissell felt that the film needed more action sequences and set out on the ice floes to film them. During filming, the ship, SS ''Viking'' on which filming was taking place, exploded killing Frissell and 27 others.

Personal life

He married Anne Elizabeth Caldwell MacClanahan (died 1938) of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, in 1909. They had three children and retired to

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

after his work in Newfoundland. They were married in 1909 and came to live in the Grenfell House (which they designed together) in St. Anthony, Newfoundland. Anne gave Dr. Grenfell's life comfort and refinement. She became totally involved in his work. She organized his fundraising tours and lectures, edited his books and helped secure scholarships for the children of the area to continue their education. Although Anne was ill towards the end of her life, she kept her pain hidden from her husband and took care of him until she died in 1938.

Death and legacy

Grenfell died of a

coronary thrombosis Coronary thrombosis is defined as the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel of the heart. This blood clot may then restrict blood flow within the heart, leading to heart tissue damage, or a myocardial infarction, also known as a heart at ...

at Kinloch House in

Charlotte, Vermont Charlotte is a New England town, town in Chittenden County, Vermont, Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for Queen Charlotte, though unlike Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlottesville, Virginia, and other cities and towns ...

on 9 October 1940. His ashes were brought to St Anthony, where they were placed inside a rock face overlooking the harbour. Grenfell 1940 Issue-5c

The Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell Historical Society was formed in 1978. The society purchased Grenfell's home in St. Anthony,

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 ...

. 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. Anthony 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. In 1979, Memorial University's West Coast Regional College was renamed to honour Grenfell. Grenfell is honoured with a

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA) on 9 October.

Literary inspiration

A unique figure, Grenfell served to inspire at least two characters in Canadian literature: Dr. Luke in Norman Duncan's ''Doctor Luke of the Labrador'' (1904) and Dr. Tocsin in ''White Eskimo'' by

Harold Horwood Harold Andrew Horwood, CM (November 2, 1923 – April 16, 2006) was a Newfoundland and Labrador novelist, non-fiction writer and politician. He was a Member of the Order of Canada. Early life The son of Andrew Horwood and Vina Maidment, Horw ...

(1972). A biography for children (middle-high school) was written in 1942, by

Genevieve Fox Genevieve May Fox (1888 – October 5, 1959) was an American author, best known for her adventure books for girls that were written in the first half of the twentieth century. Life She was born in Southampton, Massachusetts, and studied at Smith ...

. Published by

Thomas Y. Crowell Co. Thomas Y. Crowell Co. was a publishing company founded by Thomas Y. Crowell. The company began as a bookbindery founded by Benjamin Bradley in 1834. Crowell operated the business after Bradley's death in 1862 and eventually purchased the compan ...

The book had second and third printings as well. The following statement has been widely ascribed to him, but cannot be found in any of his books: "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."

Fabric

Mill owner Walter Haythornthwaite of Burnley, Lancashire created a cloth for Sir Wilfred Grenfell after attending a Grenfell lecture. Designed to withstand the conditions of the Labrador coast, it is a 600 thread-per-inch woven cotton

gaberdine A gaberdine or gabardine is a long, loose gown or cloak with wide sleeves, worn by men in the later Middle Ages and into the 16th century.Cumming (2010), p. 88 In ''The Merchant of Venice'', William Shakespeare uses the phrase "Jewish gaberdin ...

that became known as '

Grenfell Cloth Grenfell Cloth is a densely-woven cotton gabardine material used to make luxury and outdoor clothing since its creation in 1923. It was named after Sir Wilfred Grenfell, a British medical missionary working extensively in Newfoundland. He require ...

' from 1923. The cloth became the signature fabric of the Grenfell Clothing brand which is, to this day, manufactured in the United Kingdom.

Awards

* Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George – 1907 * Honorary Doctorate of Medicine,

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

– 1907 (the first to be granted) * Murchison Prize,

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

– 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 Fame __NOTOC__ The 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 an exhibit hall in London, O ...

– 1997 In 1979, the Corner Brook campus of Memorial University of Newfoundland was renamed

Sir Wilfred Grenfell College Grenfell Campus, formerly Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, is a campus of the Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN). It is located in the city of Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The campus has approximately 1,300 students enroll ...

in his honour. In 2010, following a debate to rename this campus, the name

Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland Grenfell Campus, formerly Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, is a campus of the Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN). It is located in the city of Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The campus has approximately 1,300 students enroll ...

was chosen, to reflect the campus' ties to the spirit of Sir Wilfred Grenfell's legacy.

Publications

Essay by Grenfell include: * ''What the Bible Means to Me'' (1910) Books by Grenfell include: * ''Vikings of To-Day: or, Life and Medical Work among the Fishermen of Labrador'' (1896) * ''The Harvest of the Sea'' (1905) * ''Off the Rocks: Stories of the Deep-sea Fisherfolk of Labrador'' (1906) * ''Adrift on an Ice-Pan'' (1909) * ''What Will You Do with Jesus Christ'' (1910) * ''What the Church Means to Me: A Frank Confession and a Friendly Estimate by an Insider'' (1911) * ''The Adventure of Life'' (1912) * ''Down North on the Labrador'' (1912) * ''What Life Means to Me'' (1913) * ''Tales of the Labrador'' (1916) * ''A Labrador Doctor'' (1919)
''Labrador Days: Tales of the Sea Toilers''
(1919) * ''Yourself and Your Body'' (1924), written at the time when he said his two sons had just reached the age of Whys? and Hows? * ''What Christ Means to Me'' (1926) * ''Labrador Looks at the Orient: Notes of Travel in the Near and the Far East'' (1928) * ''Forty Years for Labrador'' (1932) * ''The Romance of Labrador'' (1934)

Notes

References

* Endnotes: **"The chief source of information is Grenfell's autobiography first published in 1919 under the title ''A Labrador Doctor'', and republished in 1932, in a revised and expanded form, under the title ''Forty Years for Labrador''. See also": **James Johnston (1908), ''Grenfell of Labrador'' **A. G. Hall (1919), ''Doctor Wilfred Grenfell'' **F. L. Waldo (1920), ''With Grenfell on the Labrador'' and **D. Wallace (1922), ''The Story of Grenfell of the Labrador'' **B. J. Mathews (1924), ''Wilfred Grenfell'' **F. L. Waldo (1924), ''Grenfell'' **E. H. Hayes (1930), ''Forty Years on the Labrador'' ** Joyce Reason (1942), Deep-sea Doctor **Genevieve May Fox (1947), ''Sir Wilfred Grenfell'', New York

External links

Grenfell Museum Properties

International Grenfell Association

Grenfell Photo Exhibit

Town of St. Anthony - Grenfell's Town
* * * *
Wilfred Grenfell Autograph Album
at Dartmouth College Library * Wilfred Thomason Grenfell papers (MS 254). Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library.

Anne MacLanahan Grenfell

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grenfell, Wilfred 1865 births 1940 deaths Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George 19th-century English medical doctors Alumni of the London Hospital Medical College People educated at Marlborough College Rectors of the University of St Andrews People from St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland Colony people Dominion of Newfoundland people Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) Canadian people of Cornish descent English emigrants to Canada Deaths from coronary thrombosis 20th-century English medical doctors People from Neston Wilfred English people of Cornish descent English Protestant missionaries English evangelicals