George Richard Renfrew

George Richard Renfrew

George Richard Renfrew, furrier, businessman (born 9 February 1831 in Québec, QC; died 4 September 1897 in Shipley, England). After his father died in 1834 in Québec during a cholera epidemic, Renfrew was brought up in Montréal by an aunt and uncle. He apprenticed to his uncle's firm, John Henderson Furriers, which he eventually inherited. The firm's name changed to G. R. Renfrew Furriers and, based in Québec, Montréal and Toronto, it acquired a great reputation for quality furs in Canada and Europe. Renfrew became a director of a number of Québec institutions, including the Quebec Bank. After his death, his sons and a cousin, John Holt, inherited the company which eventually became known as Holt Renfrew & Co.