Irish born, John Thomas Griffin (1871-1960) entered the Church Missionary Society Preparatory College in 1905 and went the next year to Moosonee, Canada as a teacher and lay reader.  He was ordained deacon in 1911 and priest in 1912 for the Diocese of Moosonee.  He served as a missionary at Albany, Ontario from 1911-1921, was curate at Moose Factory and principal of the Indian Boarding School (where his wife was matron) from 1921-1927.  From 1927-1933, Griffin was at Fort George where he did most of his own printing on a small English press using a Bishop Horden’s type.  Griffin was also a priest in the diocese of Dublin, 1933-1955.

Fonds consists of correspondence, historical notes on Fort George, a typescript of Griffin’s biography (1959), a set of typescript articles describing his journeys and missionary activities, a scrapbook with clippings from the church periodical “Moosonee and Keewatin Mailbag”, and photographs.  Included are several small, handprinted Cree lesson, prayer and translation books.

• Title based on contents of fonds.
• Donated by Canon J.T. Griffin in 1959.

See also entry under this heading in the classified catalogue.

Photographs #1-11, and postcard #21 from the J.T. Griffin fonds are located in P7514.  Photographs #12-22 are copy photographs from Moosonee and Keewatin Mailbag articles.  These are located in the scrap-book found in the J.T. Griffin fonds.  Finding aid available.