Frederick Corfield
Encyclopedia
Sir Frederick Vernon Corfield, QC
, PC
(1 June 1915 – August 25, 2005) was a British Conservative
politician and minister.
Corfield was the son of Brigadier Frederick Alleyne Corfield and Mary Graham Vernon. On 10 August 1945 he married Elizabeth Mary Ruth Taylor at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton in London.
He was educated firstly at Brockhurst Preparatory School and then at Cheltenham College
and the Royal Military Academy. He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery
in 1935. He was then posted to India until 1939, only to be sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force
. By 1940 he was serving in the 51st (Highland) Division, and mentioned in dispatches, but, as the Germans advanced, the division was cut off and forced to surrender. Thus Corfield spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war, latterly at Oflag IX A/Z at Rotenburg an der Fulda. During his time as a prisoner he studied law.
On his return to England he qualified as a lawyer and was called to the bar at Middle Temple in 1946, he spent a year in the army's judge advocate general's branch. This did not suit him. He spent the next decade mainly as a farmer, first on the family farm in Oxfordshire, then on a 300 acres (1.2 km²) farm in Gloucestershire.
In 1955 he became MP for South Gloucestershire
.
Shortly after becoming an MP he launched a private member's bill to improve compensation for compulsory land purchases. He received a second reading for his bill in February 1958, against government advice, and its general principles were incorporated in the town and country planning act of 1959.
Under Harold Macmillan
and Alec Douglas-Home
he held the position of Joint Parliamentary Secretary of Housing and Local Government (1962-4). He became an opposition spokesman on land and natural resources 1964-65 and subsequently an executive member of the 1922 Committee
. He became secretary of the Conservative MPs' agriculture committee (1956-62), and chairman of its small farms subcommittee (1957-58). He also became parliamentary private secretary to Airey Neave
In 1970 Corfield was briefly Minister of State
at the newly formed Department of Trade and Industry under John Davies
. He subsequently held the positions of Minister for Aviation Supply and Aerospace Minister (1970-2) where he was responsible for the cancellation of the Black Arrow
rocketry programme but provided financial assistance to Rolls-Royce
(whose Filton
, Bristol
factory was within his constituency) when it ran into difficulties that hampered its defence commitments. This help included the nationalisation of the strategically significant aero-engine part of RR. He also presided over the first full scale roll-out of Concorde
.
He returned to the backbenches in 1972 and did not contest his Gloucestershire seat in the general election of February 1974. After this retirement from the Commons he returned to legal pursuits and took seats on the boards of various water companies.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, PC
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
(1 June 1915 – August 25, 2005) was a British Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and minister.
Corfield was the son of Brigadier Frederick Alleyne Corfield and Mary Graham Vernon. On 10 August 1945 he married Elizabeth Mary Ruth Taylor at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton in London.
He was educated firstly at Brockhurst Preparatory School and then at Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
and the Royal Military Academy. He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1935. He was then posted to India until 1939, only to be sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
. By 1940 he was serving in the 51st (Highland) Division, and mentioned in dispatches, but, as the Germans advanced, the division was cut off and forced to surrender. Thus Corfield spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war, latterly at Oflag IX A/Z at Rotenburg an der Fulda. During his time as a prisoner he studied law.
On his return to England he qualified as a lawyer and was called to the bar at Middle Temple in 1946, he spent a year in the army's judge advocate general's branch. This did not suit him. He spent the next decade mainly as a farmer, first on the family farm in Oxfordshire, then on a 300 acres (1.2 km²) farm in Gloucestershire.
In 1955 he became MP for South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire (UK Parliament constituency)
South Gloucestershire was a parliamentary constituency in Gloucestershire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
.
Shortly after becoming an MP he launched a private member's bill to improve compensation for compulsory land purchases. He received a second reading for his bill in February 1958, against government advice, and its general principles were incorporated in the town and country planning act of 1959.
Under Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
and Alec Douglas-Home
Alec Douglas-Home
Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT, PC , known as The Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963 and as Sir Alec Douglas-Home from 1963 to 1974, was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964.He is the last...
he held the position of Joint Parliamentary Secretary of Housing and Local Government (1962-4). He became an opposition spokesman on land and natural resources 1964-65 and subsequently an executive member of the 1922 Committee
1922 Committee
In British politics, the 1922 Committee is a committee of Conservative Members of Parliament. Voting membership is limited to backbench MPs although frontbench Conservative MPs have an open invitation to attend meetings. While the party was in opposition, frontbench MPs other than the party leader...
. He became secretary of the Conservative MPs' agriculture committee (1956-62), and chairman of its small farms subcommittee (1957-58). He also became parliamentary private secretary to Airey Neave
In 1970 Corfield was briefly Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
at the newly formed Department of Trade and Industry under John Davies
John Davies (businessman)
John Emerson Harding Harding-Davies, MBE, PC was a successful British businessman who served as Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry during the 1960s...
. He subsequently held the positions of Minister for Aviation Supply and Aerospace Minister (1970-2) where he was responsible for the cancellation of the Black Arrow
Black Arrow
Black Arrow, officially capitalised BLACK ARROW, was a British satellite carrier rocket. Developed during the 1960s, it was used for four launches between 1969 and 1971...
rocketry programme but provided financial assistance to Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
(whose Filton
Filton
Filton is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol, about from the city centre. Filton lies in Bristol postcode areas BS7 and BS34. The town centres upon Filton Church, which dates back to the 12th century and is a grade II listed building...
, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
factory was within his constituency) when it ran into difficulties that hampered its defence commitments. This help included the nationalisation of the strategically significant aero-engine part of RR. He also presided over the first full scale roll-out of Concorde
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
.
He returned to the backbenches in 1972 and did not contest his Gloucestershire seat in the general election of February 1974. After this retirement from the Commons he returned to legal pursuits and took seats on the boards of various water companies.