George Snellgrove was born on 25 February 1871 in Millbrook, Hampshire, England and was baptised on 26 March that year.

He was the son of Alfred Snellgrove (b. 1828), a timber yard labourer, and Eliza Mintram (b. 1836), Millbrook natives who had married in 1865.

George had four known siblings: Sarah Jane (1862-1943, later Mrs William Burton), William Alfred (1863-1900), James Ayling (1867-1951) and Henry (b. 1868).

George first appears on the 1871 census when he was five weeks old and he and his family were living at Wimpson Square in Millbrook. The family would still be here by the time of the 1881 census; George would be described as a general labourer when he appeared on the 1891 census and he was still living with his family, now at Maybush Hill, Millbrook. When he went to sea is not certain but he would be absent from the 1901 census and appears on several crew records during 1907 when he was serving aboard Majestic as a fireman; his address at the time was 10 Mortimer Road, Shirley.

George later began a relationship with the widow of his late brother William who had died in 1900, Annie Selina, née Ransom (b. 1864), a native of Winsor, Hampshire. George and Annie appear not to have ever officially married and they had no children.

The 1911 census shows George, his "wife" and widowed mother Eliza (his father had passed away in 1902) living at 9 Cecil Avenue and George is described as a ship's fireman and his wife a laundress.

When he signed on to the Titanic, on 6 April 1912, George gave his address as 9 Cecil Avenue, Southampton and his previous ship as the Oceanic. As a fireman he could expect monthly wages of £6.

George Snellgrove died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.

His mother later died in 1916. His widow Selina was never remarried and remained in Southampton where she died in 1928.