George F. Grimes

Who was George F. Grimes?

George Frederick Arthur Grimes was a businessman and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented Port de Grave from 1913 to 1919, Fogo from 1923 to 1924, Twillingate from 1924 to 1928 and Lewisporte from 1928 to 1929 in the Newfoundland House of Assembly.

He was born in Channel, the son of William Grimes and Amelia White. The family moved to St. John's when Grimes was twelve after his father, a policeman, was posted there. He was employed as a clerk from 1890 until 1902, when he became a department manager for retail firm George Knowling Limited. In 1900, he married Annie Clarke. In 1906, Grimes helped form the Newfoundland Socialist Society; he also served as financial secretary for the St John's Trades and Labour Council in 1908. He is credited with exposing a future Newfoundland prime minister Joey Smallwood to socialism. A supporter of the Fishermen's Protective Union, he became manager of the dry goods department in the Union Trading Company in 1912 and, in 1913, was elected to the House of Assembly in Port de Grave as an FPU representative. In 1914, Grimes helped form the Newfoundland Socialist League.