The Papers of Sir Frederick Corfield

Sir Frederick Corfield was born 1 June 1915 the son of Brigadier F. A. Corfield, DSO, OBE, IA, and M. G. Corfield (née Vernon). In 1945 he married Elizabeth Mary Ruth Taylor, they had no children.

Corfield first had a military career in the Royal Artillery, 1935-1939. He served in the Second World War, 1939-45, with the British Expeditionary Force (1939) and the 51st (Highland) Division (1940) and was mentioned in despatches. Corfield was a prisoner of war in Germany, 1940-45.

Corfield was called to Bar, Middle Temple in 1945. The period 1946-56 was spent as a farmer in Chatham, Shropshire. While he was the Conservative MP for South Gloucestershire (1955-February 1974) Corfield held the following posts, Joint Parliamentary Secretary of Housing and Local Government, 1962-64; Minister of State, Board of Trade, June-October 1970; Minister of Aviation Supply, 1970-71; Minister for Aerospace, Department of Trade and Industry, 1971-72.

He was a Recorder of the Crown Court, 1979-87.

He was a member of the British Waterways Board, 1974-83 (Vice-Chairman, 1980-83); Director of the Mid-Kent Water Company, 1975-91.

Corfield has published "Corfield on Compensation" (1959), (with R. J. A. Carnworth) "A Guide to the Community Land Act" (1976), "Compulsory Acquisition and Compensation" (1978), and his memoirs "Well Briefed" (2000).

He died in August 2005.

This small collection consists of political papers, speeches and articles selected by Sir Frederick Corfield for deposit at Churchill Archives Centre. The political papers include letters received by Corfield while Minister of Aviation, publications about aerospace companies such as Rolls Royce, and Corfield's decision not to stand at the 1974 election. There are also some publications relating to the British Waterways Board. The speeches and articles are mostly those written by Corfield but do include some written by others such as Enoch Powell.

Sir Frederick Corfield deposited these papers at Churchill Archives Centre in May 2003.

This collection is owned by Churchill College, Cambridge.

he collection is open for consultation by researchers using Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge. Churchill Archives Centre is open from Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. A prior appointment and two forms of identification are required.

Researchers wishing to publish excerpts from the papers must obtain prior permission from the copyright holder and should seek advice from Archives Centre staff.

Please cite as Churchill Archives Centre, The Papers of Sir Frederick Corfield, CFLD

The collection has been catalogued and copies of the catalogue are available at Churchill Archives Centre, at The Historical Manuscripts Commission and on the Janus website: http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk.

This collection (fonds) level description was prepared by Louise King of Churchill Archives Centre on 14 January 2003. Additional information was obtained from Sir Frederick Corfield's entry in Who's Who, 1897 - 1996, his own memoirs "Well Briefed" and the papers themselves. Additional catalogue information was added by Andrew Riley of Churchill Archives Centre in August 2005.