Sunday, July 17, 2011

1965 Sir Wilfred Grenfell

 Sir Wilfred Grenfell

On July 6, 1965, Canada Post Office issue a commemorative stamp to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sir Wilfred Grenfell, British sailor and medical missionary who founded a series of hospitals, nursing stations and orphanages along the Newfoundland and Labrador coasts.

The Post Office press release provided this brief outline of Grenfell's accomplishments:
Wilfred Grenfell was born at Parkgate, England, in 1865. He was educated at Oxford and London Hospital and, in 1889, he joined the Mission of Deep Sea Fishermen which fitted out a hospital ship serving fishermen in the north Atlantic trade. Grenfell came to the coast of Labrador in 1892 and spent the rest of his life serving its inhabitants. He cruised the coasts each year in his hospital ship, and, in 1912, he founded the King George V Seamen's Institute in St. John's. Sir Wilfred retired from active work in 1935, but continued to work to raise funds for his welfare projects in Newfoundland and Labrador. He wrote a score of books, mostly on Maritime subjects. He was made C.M.G. in 1906 and K.C.M.G. in 1927. The stamp itself illustrates Sir Wilfred at the height of his humanitarian activities.
 
STAMP DESIGN

Approved Model

Designer : Harvey Thomas Prosser

National Archives of Canada

Issued Stamp



First Day Covers

Schering


H & E





Manitoulin Stamps



Chickering



Overseas Mailers





Canada Post Office Publicity First Day Cover

To Portugal



Rosecraft



Canada Envelope Company




Usages

Domestic Forward Letter

Kingston to Picton, September 13, 1965
5 cents forward letter rate


Domestic Special Delivery

Montreal to Vancouver, September 27, 1965
5 cents forward letter rate + 25 cents special delivery fee


Grenfell Mission Anniversary 1941 

On December 1, 1941, Newfoundland issued a stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the International Grenfell Mission  by Dr. Grenfell.


The cover was produced by the International Grenfell Association (I.G.A.) and mailed from St. Anthony, site of the Grenville Mission. An I.G.A. cancellation. was used to postmark the cover.

I.G.A. oval cancellation 
St. Anthony, December 1, 1941


I.G.A. Post Office Cancellation

The cover below was sent from St. Anthony to St. Martin, French West Indies, April 29, 1958.


The letter was postmarked at the I.G.A. Post Office, St. Anthony. It is unusual for an organization to have its own post office.


St. Anthony (partial strike)
AP 29
58
I.G.A. P.O. (International Grenfell Association Post Office)