Ella Corfield (''née'' Caird) was a British pharmacist, achieving pioneering academic work in her early career and later business management. She also held senior ranks in the

British Red Cross The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with more ...

Early life and education

Ella Caird was the younger daughter of the Reverend David Caird, Lyndhurst, Regent's Park Road, Church End, London. She served a three-year apprenticeship at the Gordon Hall School of Pharmacy from 1911, before becoming a student at the

Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) existed from its founding as the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain in 1841 until 2010. The word "Royal" was added to its name in 1988. It was the statutory regulatory and professional ...

(PSGB) School of Pharmacy in

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, London. She passed the PSGB Minor examination, registering as a Chemist & Druggist in 1914. She gained bronze medals in botany and chemistry, the Martindale medal in pharmacy and the CJ Hewlett memorial exhibition, with the highest honours of any student in the course that year. She passed the PSGB Major examination and registered as a Pharmaceutical Chemist in 1915. She won an unprecedented clean sweep in that year's student medals with silver medals in botany, chemistry, practical chemistry and materia medica. She was awarded the highest student award of the Pereira Medal, and gained a Redwood research scholarship. She went on to study successfully for a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

. She passed the intermediate exam of the (now Royal)

Institute of Chemistry The Royal Institute of Chemistry was a British scientific organisation. Founded in 1877 as the Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain and Ireland (ICGBI), its role was to focus on qualifications and the professional status of chemists, and its aim ...

in July 1917, and was awarded associateship of the Institute in July 1918.

Career

Caird worked first as a demonstrator, then senior demonstrator and then assistant lecturer in chemistry and physics at the Pharmaceutical Society's school, as well as serving as the assistant to the examiners, all extremely rare positions for a woman to hold. She is described as resigning these positions in 1921 to "become actively associated" with her husband, Charles Corfield's work in the analytical chemistry business Harrison and Self on

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, and his editorship of the

British Pharmaceutical Codex The British Pharmaceutical Codex (BPC) was first published in 1907, to supplement the ''British Pharmacopoeia'' which although extensive, did not cover all the medicinal items that a pharmacist might require in daily work. Other books existed, ...

and the Extra Pharmacopoeia. Having gone into partnership with Mr Self in 1925, Charles Corfield's subsequent ill-health led to his wife getting heavily involved in the business. She was made a partner, alongside Mrs E. W. Kassner in 1942, particularly tasked with building up the laboratories which had been completely destroyed in 1940. She continued in the role after her husband's sudden death in 1945, spending 13 years as business principal, retiring in 1956. After her retirement, she continued to work part-time in a hospital pharmacy role.

Voluntary positions and community roles

She was elected a member of the executive committee for the British Pharmaceutical Conference at a meeting on 14 October 1919. She served as president of the Pharmaceutical Society's School of Pharmacy Past Students’ Association in 1930, the first woman to take that role. She was secretary and convener of the Ladies’ Committee for the British Pharmaceutical Conference, held in London in 1933. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Ella was active in work for the

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and Civil Defense. She raised two detachments in her local area of Barnet, and qualified as an instructor in first aid, home nursing, anti-gas measures and artificial respiration. Having first held the rank of Commandant, she became the British Red Cross Society's Assistant County director for Hertfordshire until 1942, and was later appointed an honorary Commandant. She was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Institute of Chemistry The Royal Institute of Chemistry was a British scientific organisation. Founded in 1877 as the Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain and Ireland (ICGBI), its role was to focus on qualifications and the professional status of chemists, and its aim ...

in 1942.

Personal life

On 30 March 1921, she married Charles Edwin "Flick" Corfield at Church End Congregational Church, Finchley, London. She left her career to look after their home and raise their three sons, as well as initially helping her husband with editorial work for the

. Her date of death is currently unknown. She was still described as "still enjoying life" in 1982.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corfield, Ella British pharmacists Women pharmacists Date of death missing Date of birth uncertain