Frederick Corfield 1821-1883

The Corfields had a long history of family in the church. The family can trace their history back to 1270 and throughout the family's history nearly each generation has had a member of the family on the church.

Frederick was the 7th and youngest son. He was ordained at the age of 23 planning to be a missionary, due to illness this was a desire that could not be fulfilled.

Frederick took a curacy at Broughton in Hampshire and later in Brightwell. Whilst there he married Sarah Weller Channer and soon after took rectorship of the parish of Templecombe in Ireland. During his 18 years as Rector there he and Sarah has a total of six sons and three daughters.

In 1866 Mr F Wright of Ormaston, the Patron of Heanor church, offered Frederick the ministry of Heanor parish.

According to records Frederick found the St Lawrence's to be a bad state. The parish had apparently been run down during the ministry of the Rev. Whinfield. No Sunday schools were being run, only 12 people in regular attendance of the church and the parish church itself suffering from severe damp and neglect.

Whilst it was Frederick's wish to restore the parish church it was decided that it would be impossible to do so. The medieval tower to the church was retained but the main body and chancel were demolished and replaced with a larger and more accommodating church by Roberts and Stevens of Derby

By 1878 Frederick's health was severely deteriorating, he had a brief sabbatical, and eventually it was decided that he needed a parish with less work needing doing. He became vicar of Shirley 20 miles from Heanor where he eventually died in 1883.

The old East window of the Victorian church was in his memory paid for by the people of Heanor.