Date of Birth: 
About James Francis McGrath
- James Francis McGrath (May 23, 1859 – October 29, 1902) was a fisherman and political figure in Newfoundland.
- He represented Placentia and St.
- Mary's in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1885 to 1894 as a Liberal. He was born in Little Placentia, the son of Richard McGrath and Margaret Fanning.
- He was raised and educated in Oderin where his father was Customs Collector and Stipendary Magistrate.
- He received his secondary education at Saint Bonaventure's College in St.John's.
- McGrath began work as a fisherman operating his own boat and later owned a fishing business operating catching cod on the Grand Banks and herring.
- First elected MHA for the district of Placentia and St.
- Mary's in 1885 (a position his father had held in the past).
- He served as a member of the Newfoundland Fisheries Commission from 1889 to 1895.
- He was re-elected in 1893 and was named to the Executive Council as chairman of the Board of Works.
- He was forced to resign from the assembly the following year after the Tories filed petitions against 15 Liberal and one Independent incumbent for partisan use of government funds.
- He was disqualified from holding office again.
- His brother Richard was elected to represent Placentia and St.
- Mary's in the subsequent by-election.
- In 1895, McGrath was named governor of the Newfoundland penitentiary, a position he filled from Apr 1 1895 until his death in 1902.
- He was married three times: first in 1882 to Theresa Mary Power (1859–1886), then in 1889 to Catherine (Kate) McCarthy (1859–1895) and finally in 1896 to Mary Anne (Min) Aylward (1859–1943).
- In all he had 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls (including twin daughters who died as children).
- One son John William McGrath worked as secretary and advisor to Theodore Roosevelt but died in 1924 at the age of 32 in Boston, Mass.
- Son James became a doctor and eventually entered politics, becoming Minister of Health in the Smallwood government.
- Daughter Elizabeth Anne McGrath studied law and in 1934 was the second woman admitted to the bar in Newfoundland.
- James Francis McGrath died in Halifax at the age of 43 while returning from kidney surgery in Boston following an emergency operation by his uncle Dr.
- Donald A Campbell.
- His body was returned to St.
- John's, Newfoundland and he was buried in the Belvedere Roman Catholic Cemetery.
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