George's father was a sailor and
away a lot, so George learned to tend the farm, cut wood, go hunting and
do all the other jobs related to taking care of his mother and family
while his father was away.
George dedicated himself to
Christianity when he was 19. He met Elizabeth Chantler and married her
in 1842. He worked in a shipping job for a while and was authorized as a
local preacher. In 1848 he and his wife left their young children in the
care of friends so that they could move to Cobourg and he could go to
college.
They then moved to Alderville
where he worked as a preacher and superintendent of a boys industrial
school. Then in 1851 they moved to Garden River where George worked as a
missionary. He was not ordained until 1852 at the Conference in Kingston
and he continued to work at Garden River till 1860 when he was appointed
to Rossville, Norway House. At that time he was appointed
Chairman of the Missions.