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Archivist Nancy Mallett and Robert G. Kearns on the sacrifice of Dr. George Robert Grasett

Celtic style music playing. Interior shot of two women carrying large leather bound scrapbook, older woman behind facing camera wearing glasses and yellow top; younger woman with her back to camera wearing dark top. Wall beside them lined with grey shelves and grey box folders. Camera tracks their movement forward carrying scrapbook, as grey shelves and grey box folders on their right come into view. Camera moves backwards tracking women as they round corner from aisle with shelves and full scrapbook comes into view. On screen caption: “Nancy Mallett Archive and Museum, Cathedral Church of St. James, Toronto".

The Grasett scrapbook is a very valuable item. It’s huge. You can hardly lift it. It’s heavy. It is this size you know, and there’s a lot of medical history in it.

Interior shot of woman wearing glasses and yellow top and sweater, with a silver broach, seated in white armchair with brown floral pattern speaking to camera. Coffee table with light switched on, small statue, phone, teapot and cups to her right. On screen text: Nancy Mallett. Archivist and Curator, the Cathedral Church of St. James.

It is a family of doctors. His father was a doctor. His brother was a doctor.

Interior close up shot of white document with black handwriting. It reads: George R. Grasett, Physican and Surgeon. Voice over changes from female to male voice.

Dr. Grasett was the younger brother

Interior shot of sepia toned portrait of elderly man with white hair wearing dark jacket with large round buttons seated beside a table with books and curtains behind him. On-screen caption: Dean Henry Grasett of St James Cathedral.

Dean Henry Grasett of St. James Cathedral.

Interior shot of man with receding white hair wearing chequered blazer and light blue shirt talking to camera. Sculpture of hunched figure sitting on plinth out of focus in background. On screen text: Robert G. Kearns. President and Founder of The Ireland Park Foundation.

He was a young 36 year old doctor.

Interior shot of Nancy Mallett speaking to camera.

He had a medical practice in Toronto. But he also was doing volunteer work and there was a clinic on Adelaide street at the time just by the church.

Exterior shot of three quarters profile of yellow brick church with traffic in foreground. Rising steeple off screen.

Interior shot of Nancy Mallett speaking to camera.

And he would have donated his services to that. And he was aware, became aware of the Irish situation.

Interior shot of Robert Kearns speaking to camera.

So he volunteers, not only volunteers but he lobbies through his brother to be appointed as the Attending Surgeon in the Emigrant Hospital.

Interior shot of handwritten letter in black in on white paper, three paragraphs long, addressed to “G.R. Grasett Esq.”

So George Robert is appointed

Interior shot of Robert Kearns speaking to camera.

as the Attending Physician on the 18th of June.

Interior diagonal shot of white paper with black handwriting that begins: “The Funeral of the late Dr. Grasett”. Document dated July 16, 1847.

and he loses his life to typhus in July.

Interior shot of sculptural figure of young man hunched over wearing cloak and facing camera with wild open eyes, while camera pans slowly upwards.

But he was anxious to go to the aid of fellow citizens and new emigrants

Interior shot of five sculptural figures standing in a group looking upwards except for figure on right, who looks away to the right. All have blank expressions. Two sculptural figures in front carrying stones. Sculptural wall in background out of focus.

and new arrivals.

Interior shot of Robert Kearns speaking to camera.

Many of whom didn’t speak English. They would have spoken Gaelic. And they weren’t all Anglican. Many of them, the vast majority of them, would have been Catholic. So at that time that meant more than it does today. And he reached across the sectarian divide. A hand of friendship, a medical hand, a hand of kindness, and helped those people, and in the process lost his life.

Interior shot of Nancy Mallett speaking to camera.

And that’s something that wasn’t known. That’s new knowledge. I mean I lead tours of downtown Toronto – I have for years for the R[oyal] O[ntario] M[useum] and so on. And you look at the statue outside of St. Pauls’ Church, St. Paul’s Catholic Basilica

Exterior shot of red brick church viewed from low angle with camera pointing up at sharp angle, with front facade of building and tower extending out of frame into blue sky. Camera pans down and sculptural pieta figure of Mary cradling reclining Jesus on plinth with memorial plaque comes into view.

and you see the monument outside to the Bishop who died,

Interior shot of Nancy Mallett speaking to camera.

and that’s the only one we knew.

Interior shot of Robert Kearns speaking to camera.

If you don’t have a name you’re forgotten, and I think it’s a very unfortunate scenario that somebody or a group of people did such incredibly courageous

Interior shot of white envelope with black handwriting addressed to “Dr. Grasett”

work should be forgotten.

Interior shot of Robert Kearns speaking to camera.

It’s part of our history. It’s part of who we are.

Final image of water with onscreen Ireland Park Foundation logo. Celtic style music playing.