George Edward Grover, the third son of Charles E. Grover of Hermel Hempstead, was born June 2, 1840. After studying at the Kensington Proprietary School and Royal Military Academy, he obtained a commission in the Corps of Royal Engineers and was attached to the office of the Inspector-General of Fortifications, where he assisted in the design and construction of defense works in the southern district of England, including the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth.

In 1866, Grover was ordered to Canada to work on defensive works, where he remained until November 1870. He returned to England for a few years to serve as Deputy Commissioner for the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, which was organizing a series of exhibitions. Grover oversaw marchinery and scientific collections for the International Exhibitions held at South Kensington. During this service he was made a captain.

Grover returned to Canada, commanding companies at Chatham and Halifax, Nova Scotia from July 1873-June 1875. After passing through the Staff College he served briefly in Turkey before being posted to the Intelligence Department. In November 1879 he was promoted to major, and in the early 1880s he served as Secretary to the Royal Engineers Committee and then in the office of the Inspector-General of Fortifications.

Grover spent a few years on loan to the Admiralty, acting as a superintending engineer at the Portsmouth Dockyard. In February 1885 he joined the Suakin Expedition, the second military expedition intent on destroying Osman Digna's power in the Sudan. Grover acted as Deputy Assistant-Adjutant and Quartermaster General and saw action several times, earning the brevet-rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

Grover returned to England thereafter and remained there in various positions until his retirement in 1892, after being promoted in 1889 to the full rank of colonel. In 1892 he was appointed to assist the Royal Commission for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, where he oversaw the erection of Victoria House. George Edward Grover died in Chicago on January 29, 1893.

[Information retrieved from Institution of Civil Engineers. "Obituary. Colonel George Edward Grover, 1840-1893." Available online at https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/pdf/10.1680/imotp.1893.20471.]