Rev. F Corfield window.

The Corfield window was dedicated on Sunday, March 16th 1884. There were three dedication services; the morning sermon preached by Rev. G. Edcoombe M.A. Rector of St Peter’s Nottingham, the afternoon sermon by the Rector of Gedling and the evening by the Rev. C.E.L. Corfield M.A. Vicar of Shirley later "Rector" of Heanor.

The window was designed and made by Mayer & Co. of London and Munich as the East Window of the Chancel in memory of Rev. Frederick Corfield, late Vicar of Shirley, and from 1864 to 1879 "Rector" of Heanor. It was under Frederick Corfield's term as "Rector" that the medieval Church was demolished and the Victorian Church with its woefully inadequate foundation was built.

It originally bore the inscription"Come unto me, all ye that lab our and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"

The window was largely paid for by people of Heanor at a cost of £150.

Subscriber	£	s	d
The Misses Wright of Lenton	10
Rev. C.W.G. Corfield	6
Mrs Huish	5
Dr Wooley	5
T Barber Esq	5
Miss Adams	2
Mr B Hardy	1	1
Mrs Seale	1	1
Mr Wilkes	1	1
The Misses Woodhead	1	1
"A friend"	1	1
"A friend"	1	1
Miss Gregory	1
Mrs Marchall		10	6
Mrs Taylor		10	6
Miss Spray		10
Mr Hancock (senior)		10
Mr Riley		3
Mrs Sawyer		2	6
Mrs Shrewsbury		2	6
Mrs Young		2	6
G B Gregory Esq	5
Mr John Holbrook	2	2
J M	2	2
Mrs Wooley	2
Mr John Fletcher	1	1
Mr G Turner	1	1
Dr. Smith	1	1
Mrs G Wooley, Loscoe	1	1
Mrs G Gregory	1
Miss Gregory	1
Mr F Draper	1
Miss F Wooley	1
J P Hamilton, Esq	1
Mrs Thomas Brown		10	6
Mr J Bunting		10	6
J. Calladine		10	6
Miss Wooley		10	6
Mr J Wooley		10	6
Mr J D Bailey		10
Mr Bircumshaw		10
Miss Hunt		10
Mr D O Simpson		10
Mr Wm Inger		7	6
Mr John Allen		5
Mr N Ball		5
Mr J Bestwick		5
Miss Clarke, Loscoe Grange		5
Mrs Earley		5
Mrs I Prince		5
Mrs J Richards		5
Miss A Sellars		5
Miss Wissenden		5
Miss M Wooley		5
Mr G Ackroyd		2	6
Mr H Hunt		2	6
Mrs Fletcher		2
Mrs M Lomax		1
Mrs Butler		1
Mr P Iggleshaw		1
E M Mundy, Esq.	10	10
Sir H Wilmot, M.P.	2	2
"In Memoriam"	2	2
R S Parker, Esq.	1	1
Mr Eagle	1	1
Mr I Heald	1	1
Mr Robinson	1	1
Mr J Turton	1	1
Mr S Towson	2
Mrs H Burton	1	1
Mr John Milner	1	1
Mr W Beresford	1	1
Mr Stephens	1	1
Mr Askew	1	1
Mr Paxton (per Mrs. Burton)		10	6
W Robey, Burton		10	6
Miss Poundall		10
Mrs Bourne, Denby Hall		10
Mr J H Burton		5	6
Mrs Annable		5
Mr E Beresford		5
Mrs A Brown		5
Mr Wilmott, Langley Mill		5
Mrs Robinson		5
Mr Hibbert		3
Mrs C Wood, Marlpool		3
Miss H H Burton		2	6
Mr R J Burton		2	6
Mrs Caley		2	6
Miss Clower		2	6
Mr J B Booth, Marlpool		2	6
Mr J Boam		2	6
Mr H Boam		2	6
F B Wright, Esq.	5	5
Mr R Beresford Wright		1
Mrs Wright, Hampstead		10
Miss Wright		5
Miss C Wright		5
Miss S Wright		5
Miss A Wright		5
Mr R H Wright		2	6
Miss M Fitzherbert		2	6
Mr A Fitzherbert Wright		2	6
Miss Adeline Wright		5
Colonel Channer	2	2
G Weller, Esq.	1	1
Mrs Williams	1	1
Mr & Mrs W Corfield		10
Miss Griffin		10
Mr H King		2	6
Robert Gribble, Esq	1
Mr J Manfull, Lenton		10	6
Mrs A Kirk		10
Mr W Kirkham		5
Mr D Woods		5
Mr W Greaves		5
Miss Court		5
Mr T Pegg		2	6
Mr W White		10
Mr Pine		5
Mrs J Smith, west Hill		5
Mr Bamber		2
Mr W Knighton		2
Mr W Holmes		2
Mrs S Taylor		2	6
Mrs Walter Prince		3
Mr Arthur Bryan		2	6
Mr Lockton		2
Mr Fiddler		2	6
Mrs Thoms Soar		2
Mr H Bradley		1
Mrs Newton		1
Mrs Enoch Gillott		1
Mrs Kerry		1
Mrs Jenkins		1
Mrs Aldred		1
Mrs Amos Gillott		1
Mrs Watkinson		1
Mrs Adcock		1
Mr T Hardy	1	1
Rev. G Avis		10	6
Mr W Boam		5
Mrs Wright (Yeldersley)	2
"Two Friends"	1
Rev J R B Owen (Trent College)		10	6
Mr H W Flint (per Mrs Burton)		10	6
Mrs W Oldershaw		8
Miss Wilkes		5
F Wright, Esq	1	1
Mrs Olderwshaw		5
Mr Gillott (Shipley)		2	6
Mr Isaiah Aldred		2	6
Mr W Grainger		2	6
Mr W Wilson		2	6
Mrs C Fiddler		2
Mrs S Richards		2
Miss A Hardy		2
Mr Steele		2
Mr C Smith		2
Mr Robert Saxton		2
Mr W Allen		1
Mrs Barber (Burton-on-Trent)	1
Mr Fletcher (Ilkeston)		5
Mr Thos. Roscoe		5
Mr J Lomax		2	6
Mrs Dexter			2
Mr W P Simpson		2	6
Collection at dedication services	19	13	3

With the West and South walls being severely compromised by the 1970s in the Victorian building the Corfield window had to be removed during the 1982 rebuild. It was moved to a lower position on the new South wall.

To see this window as it would have looked prior to the rebuild please click here, thanks to the Heanor and District historical Society & Brian Key for the origional image that the update has been superimposed onto.

Thanks to Jennypeg for the following extract from the 1884 Derby Mercury :

"Memorial to the Rev. Frederick Corfield on Sunday, Mar 16th special services were held at the parish church on the occasion of the dedication of a memorial east window which has been erected by public subscription at a cost of about 160/- the parishioners to the memory of their late dearly loved and devoted rector, the Rev. Frederick Corfield. The window, which is a very large one, consists of five lights, suitable design, which is very pleasing and chaste represents our saviour calling the people unto him. Underneath are the words “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Also the arms ------- ------motto of the Corfield family, which are – Ermise --- pale ---- lion rampant – quartering, argent --- hearts gules. The former are the arms now used, and the latter are the ancient ensigns of the family. The ----- is a hand holding two palm branches and the motto is Serva fidem, meaning serving faithfully,” which was certainly borne out through life by him whose motto it was. On a brass plate under the window is the following description “This window is erected by the parishioners and a few relatives and friends to the glory of God and as a loving – bute of affection and esteem to the memory of the Rev. Frederick Corfield late vicar of Shirley, and from 1866 to 1879 rector of this parish Born July 10th 1821 and died April 12th 1883” The sermon in the morning was preached by the Rev. George Edcoombe, M.A. vicar of St Peter’s Nottingham who took for his text the words ---- in the window, The preacher stated that he had known the late rector from his early childhood, and he knew him as one who wished for no eulogy from man, the works which he had done spoke for themselves and a memory which lived in the hearts of redeemed men and women needed no memorial. Still they had done well to erect that beautiful window, the subject was most appropriate as a memorial to one whose whole life was spent with the single object of bringing burdened souls to a merciful redeemer. He was one of those men who had ever been ready to lose himself in his great message, and who was only anxious to get behind the cross that men might think of the saviour and not of the preacher. In the afternoon the sermon was preached by the Hon. And Rev. Cannon Forster rector of Gedling Notts, who spoke earnestly and feelingly on the duties of a good pastor and referred in suitable terms to the character and work of the late rector. In the evening the sermon was preached by the Rev. Claud E. L. Corfield M.A. vicar of Shirley, son of the late and brother of the present rector of Heanor. The text was Isaiah xxxii, -, “ A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind and a covert from tempest as givers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a wary land.” After setting forth the Lord Jesus Christ (1) as the example of a true “Man” (2) as the hiding place from the power of sin and care and (3) the source of all real refreshment in life, the speaker concluded with a reference to his father. He said that his hearers could not expect him at such a time to give expression in the thoughts, which were filling all their minds. He would only say that sometimes it was granted to them to live close to the shadow of the great rock that they themselves became a rallying point of all that was -- holy. The man of whom they were thinking that day was without doubt one of the holiest and best that had lived. He was also in every sense a type of a true man in his early days among the ---- people in the remote north west of Ireland it was his athletic frame and --- contempt for danger which first won the respect of those --- and afterwards led them to receive -- which their pastor so pre-eminently lived out in his life. Might it be granted to all of them to “follow him as he followed Christ” The service was very largely attended on each occasion by very attentive congregations and the people seemed much moved by each reference to their former rector. Some 20/- was required to make up the large sum of money which was wanted for the window and this sum was collected at the service many of the people expressing their willingness to give more if required. We understand that the family of the late vicar have placed at Shirley a beautiful and ample memorial at the --- and have also erected in the chancel of that church a – marble tablet surmounted with the arms, on which the following inscription:
In loving memory of the Rev. Frederick Corfield vicar of Shirley born July 10th 1921 died April 12th 1883 youngest son of William Wilmot Corfield, Esq., of --- Cornwall and descended from an ancient Shropshire family. He married January 9th 1845 Sarah Weller youngest daughter of George Channer of Sutton Middlesex Esq. He was rector of Templecombe from 1819 1866 and rector of Heanor in the county from 1866 to 1879 and vicar of this parish from ------to the time of his death. His earnest piety and beauty of character endearing him to all who knew him."