Robert Alfred Ernes Greenshields (1861-1942) was born in Danville, Québec and graduated from McGill in Arts in 1883, and in Civil Law in 1885. One of his first court cases was the trial of Louis Riel, where he served as defence counsel. Greenshields established his practice in Montréal, and was created Q.C. in 1899. In 1910 he was appointed judge of the Superior Court of the Province of Quebec, becoming Chief Justice in 1929. At McGill, Greenshields became Associate Professor of Criminal Law in 1915, and full Professor in 1920. From 1923 until 1927 he served as Dean, and retired in 1929 as Emeritus Professor. In 1932 he was appointed Chancellor of Bishop's University.

Isabella Black Greenshields was born on September 16, 1856, in Montreal, Quebec. Her father John Greenshields was a Montreal merchant. In 1883 she married Thomas Edwards Greenshields of Liverpool, England. He worked at his father’s firm Greenshields & Co. Shipowners and General merchants. They had three children during their marriage. She died on April 23, 1929, in Axminster, Devon, England.