Profile Text
Birth Name: George Alexander Drew
Date of Birth: May 7, 1894
Place of Birth: Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Date of Death: January 4, 1973
Place of Death: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Ethnicity: Scottish, English
George A. Drew was a Canadian politician. Provincially, he served as Premier of Ontario, from August 17, 1943 to October 19, 1948; as well as, a Member of the Ontario Parliament for Simcoe East, and then for for High Park, cumulatively, from February 14, 1939 to June 6, 1948. Federally, he was Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, from October 2, 1948 to September 21, 1956, Leader of the Opposition, from December 20, 1948 to November 1, 1954, and again, from February 1, 1955 to August 1, 1956; and Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, from June 24, 1957 to March 30, 1963; as well as, a Member of Parliament for Carleton (ON), from December 20, 1948 to January 8, 1957. He was lieutenant-colonel of the 11th Field Brigade, and honorary colonel of the 11th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery.
George was the son of Annie Isabelle Stevenson (Gibbs) and John Jacob Drew. He was an officer in the Canadian Field Artillery during WWI. He was married to Fiorenza d’Arneiro Johnson, until her death; and then to Florence McCullagh, until his death. Fiorenza was the daughter of operatic tenor Edward Johnson, who was General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera. Florence was the widow of influential newspaper owner and publisher George McCullagh, the founder of The Globe and Mail. George had two children.
George’s paternal grandfather was George Alexander Drew (the son of John Drew and Margaret McKay).
George’s paternal grandmother was Matilda Martha Reid.
George’s maternal grandfather was named Malcolm Gibbs.
George’s maternal grandmother was named Elizabeth Mary Jacob (the daughter of Hannah Bennett Garland). Hannah was the daughter of Charles David Garland and Elizabeth Ann Bennett.
Source: Genealogy of George A. Drew – https://www.geni.com