Letter from Frederick Channer Corfield to Thomas Corfield
Butterley Park
Alfreton
Derbyshire
December 18th 1873
My Dear Cousin,
Your letter has been forwarded to me from Heanor Rectory and I am very glad you
take an interest in Pedigree etc. and I will try to answer you questions.
First as to mottos. Justus et Fidelis is the ancient motto of the
Corfeilds of Salop and was used under the ancient arms (ar 3 hearts gules), 'Semper
Fidelis' sometimes 'Speclemar Agendo' are the mottos used by the Corfields of
Somersetshire areas - or 3 castles "see pedigree.
The latter motto being borne more especially by the London Corfields and now
borne by General Corfield and A. K. Corfield Esq. J.P. for Kent.
Colonel C. C. Corfield wrote to me the other day to enquire about the same
thing.
The motto of William Corfield of Shrewsbury 1740 was "Serva Fidem" and as he was
the father of Richard C, father of our grandfather, "Serva Fidem" ought
to be the motto of all our branch of the family.
The above Wm C. also took the arms now registered in Barks armory to the family
of Corfield and therefore we ought to bear as the paternal arms "Ermine on a
pale azure a lion rampant or" see pedigree. Quartering "Or 3 hearts 2 rd"
shewing ancient arms with the quartering of Walthall, Russell and Chirchman.
The Caulfields may be descended from the Corfhulls (Corfields) of Salop
but I am inclined to think they are not of such ancient family. No pedigree that
I have seen take them beyond 1580 - before which they are said to have been of
Oxfordshire. Though they may be descended from us we are not descended from
Caulfields. Their motto and arms are quite different, as you say.
I have the copy of several pedigrees of Corfield, Corfeild and Corfhull and they
all relate to Shropshire and the places in that county of Corfhull, now
Corfield, and Chatwall Hall, the latter I have been to.
In the pedigree I sent you Richd C and Frances Doughty appear in the direct
descent of the London Corfields but another pedigree shews the Chatwall C
(ourselves) as descended from their marriage.
I have tried hard to find out positively of what family our G G grandmother
Susannah Wilmot was of. That she was born in 1745 and died in 1801. That she was
the sister of Mary W who married Ad Henderson and that her brother was an
officer killed somewhere and that she lived next county to Salop and was a lady
of good family, her father being Wm is all I know.
In the pedigree I say she was of Cheshire because some of the Ws of Chaddesden
Hall, Derby settled there and Susannah is a common name in their pedigree.
The head of their family Sir H.W., our M.P., told my father that he would find
out for him where the Ws of Cheshire lived. Their arms are different from those
of the Earls of R but in a history of Herefordshire I find a J of Wilmot or
Willimot giving arms unlike either.
I should much like to have a copy of the Wilmot monument.
I shall be delighted to answer any other questions,
Now I come down to the present generation of Corfields.
You are I believe in the mining engineering line, as well as I am. I am sure my
father will be very glad if you will come up to see us in Derbyshire -
being a bachelor, my house is in prospect so I cannot ask you to it - but I
shall be delighted to shew you all I can of the "Long Wall" workings and thin
seams of Derbyshire.
My particular work just now is the charge of 9 small collieries and 6 ironstone
mines, so time to work up family history is about a thing of the past - but if I
could but scrape time I could have another run into Shropshire,
With best wishes
yours sincerely
F. Channer Corfield
I will set my sister to draw you the arms,
crest and motto that should be borne by our branch of the family - given
quarterings, though I should like to go back to the old ones on the monuments in
Cardington Church,
F.C.C.