William Wilmot Corfield (1859 - 27 October 1919) [1] was a British philatelist who was an important figure in Anglo-Indian philately. By his own account, he was an auditor by profession. [2]
William Wilmot Corfield (1859 - 27 October 1919) [1] was a British philatelist who was an important figure in Anglo-Indian philately. By his own account, he was an auditor by profession. [2]
Corfield was born in Birmingham in 1859 and educated at King Edward's School. His mother was Jemima Corfield (nee Randell) who died in 1862. Subsequently, he was the editor in that city of Ye Manual, Birmingham Town Crier and Birmingham Faces and Places [1] [2] and he was a friend of George Bernasconi.
Corfield started to collect stamps aged six and later acquired his brother, Winter's, collection after Winter died following an accident on a cricket pitch. [3]
In 1886 and also in 1893, Corfield travelled to India where he subsequently became Editor of The Philatelic World (1894 to 1897) and the Philatelic Journal of India. At different times the Hon. Secretary, Treasurer and Vice-President of the Philatelic Society of India (1897-1909). He was also Curator of the Indian National Stamp Collection at Victoria Museum, Calcutta. While in India, Corfield wrote topical verses under the pen name Dâk dicta which appeared in the Indian press, Dak being the Hindi equivalent of "post office". He was active in the Calcutta Historical Society. [1] [4]
Corfield returned to Britain permanently in around 1910 or 1911. He was already a member of the Royal Philatelic Society London from 1899 and of The Fiscal Philatelic Society. He was also a member of the Hertfordshire society, The Junior Philatelic Society (now the National Philatelic Society and the International Philatelic Union. He became closely associated with the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain. He was for a short time Editor of The London Philatelist. He was active in the National Philatelic War Fund and was credited by The London Philatelist with suggesting the design of the souvenir sword of justice stamp produced for the fund. He wrote the obituary of noted Indian philatelic specialist Sir David Parkes Masson in The London Philatelist. [5]
Corfield campaigned for the Tapling Collection to be brought up to date so as to become the British national stamp collection but this ultimately proved impossible due to the terms under which the Tapling Collection had been donated and the scarcity of some of the material missing from it. [6]
Corfield died on 27 October 1919 at Sydenham, South London. He was survived by his wife and daughter. [1]
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The Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL) is the oldest philatelic society in the world. It was founded on 10 April 1869 as The Philatelic Society, London. The society runs a postal museum, the Spear Museum of Philatelic History, at its headquarters in the City of London.
Thomas Keay Tapling was an English businessman and politician. He played first-class cricket and was also an eminent philatelist who formed one of the greatest stamp collections of his era.
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Marcellus Purnell Castle, known as M.P. Castle, was a British philatelist who was President of the Royal Philatelic Society London from 1913 to 1917, the first editor of The London Philatelist from 1892–1917 and whose name was entered on the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists as one of the "Fathers of philately". He was also awarded with the Lindenberg Medal in 1909.
Henry Haslett was one of the small group who met regularly at the Rev. Stainforth's Rectory that formed the nucleus from which The Philatelic Society, London, subsequently The Royal Philatelic Society London, was formed. He may therefore be called one of the first philatelists.
William Amos Scarborough Westoby M.A. (1815–1899) was an English philatelist who was one of the "Fathers of Philately" entered on the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921. His obituary in The London Philatelist stated that he had "...fairly earned the title of the Grand Seigneur of Philately." By profession, Westoby was a barrister of Lincoln's Inn.
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