Charles John Corfe (1843 – 20 June 1921)Bishop Corfe. (Obituaries) The Times Monday, 4 July 1921; p. 16; Issue 42763; col C was the inaugural Anglican Bishop in Korea from 1889CONSECRATION OF THREE BISHOPS: Reading, Derby and Corea (sic) The Times Saturday, 2 November 1889; p. 9; Issue 32846; col C to 1904.
Biography Charles Corfe was born in Salisbury, on 14 May 1843, and was the eldest son of Charles Corfe, Organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
Corfe was one of the four "Bible Clerks" educated as an undergraduate at All Souls College, Oxford.History of the college After graduatingThe Times, Friday, 16 June 1865; p. 5; Issue 25213; col B University Intelligence he had a brief spell teaching at St Michael's College, Tenbury before being ordained in 1866. For the next 22 years he was a Royal Navy Chaplain."Who was Who" 1897–2007 London, A & C Black, 2007
On All Saints' Day (1 November) 1889"Chapter II. English Church Mission to Corea History, 1889–1910", in Trollope, Mark Napier. The Church in Corea (London: Mowbray, 1915/Milwaukee: The Young Churchman, 1915; accessed at Project Canterbury, 5 March 2021) he was consecrated by Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury, as missionary bishop of Chosun (Korea, then spelled Corea) in Westminster Abbey and was awarded an honorary DD on his appointment in Korea.University Intelligence. Oxford, 16 Oct.. (Official Appointments and Notices) The Times Thursday, 17 October 1889; p. 7; Issue 32832; col E
In 1890, he established the Church of St Michael and All the Angels in Seoul and started three hospitals, two in Seoul and one in Jemulpo (Incheon). Until 1891, he was also the bishop responsible for Manchuria before the area formed the diocese of North China. In 1897, he baptised the first Anglicans and performed the ritual in Korean.
He tendered his resignation to the Archbishop of Canterbury shortly before St James's Day (25 July) 1904, when he wrote a letter to his diocese; by 16 September, the Archbishop had accepted Corfe's resignation and named Arthur Turner his successor. On his retirement he published an account of his pioneering effortsDetails of book entitled The Anglican Church in Corea.Being documents ... issued by authority during the episcopate of the first Bishop of the Church of England in Corea between 1889 and 1905: Seoul, Hodge & Co, 1907
Henry Hutchinson Montgomery wrote the biography, Charles John Corfe, Naval Chaplain - Bishop in 1927.
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