John Chalker Crosbie was born at Brigus, Newfoundland, on September 11, 1876, the first born of George Graham Crosbie and Martha Ellen Chalker.

His father died when he was 16, and young John left school to run the family hotel. At age 24, John started the family’s flagship operation, Crosbie and Company, the first major local exporter of fish.

While John worked tirelessly to find international markets for the fish that were the lifeblood of the British Colony, he soon began to diversify his interests, moving into fish oil product insurance, shipping and construction and later a major margarine operation – the Newfoundland Butter Company.

John’s involvement in politics seemed almost a natural extension of his business life. He was elected to the Newfoundland Government in 1908 and a year later became a member of the Executive. He was placed in charge of the island’s shipping, ensuring that the home government in London received ships for the war effort. For this service, he was named a knight of the British Empire. After the war, Sir John moved to the finance portfolio in the Monroe Government, a position he retained until his retirement in 1928.

Sir John Chalker Crosbie died in 1932 at the age of 56.