Charles Corfe

Charles John Corfe (1843 – 20 June 1921) was the inaugural Anglican Bishop in Korea from 1889 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. After graduating 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.

On All Saints' Day (1 November) 1889 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.

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. On his retirement he published an account of his pioneering efforts entitled The Anglican Church in Corea.

Henry Hutchinson Montgomery wrote the biography, Charles John Corfe, Naval Chaplain - Bishop in 1927.