William Corkey

Life
1877- Presbyterian minister, and son of a minister; author of Glad Did I Live: Memoirs of a Long Life (Belfast newsletter 1963 [2nd edn.]); recollects the words of his own father: ‘People imagine ministers have nothing to do. If they followed me around for one day they would change their mind’ (Foreword); there is a life by his wife, Ethel Corkey, who also wrote religious stories for children; a brother Robert, also ordained, served as Minister of Education under Basil Brooke in the 1940s.

 

Works
Commentary
  • The McCann Mixed Marriage Case: An Address by W. Corkey [Knox Club pub. No. 17; 2nd edn.] (Edinburgh: The Knox Club, 1911), 18pp. [3 edns. in 1911].
  • The Religious Crisis in Ireland (London: World's Evangelical Alliance 1914), 12pp.
  • The Church of Rome and Irish Unrest: How Hatred of Britain is Taught in Irish Schools [rep from the Witness (Belfast)] (Edinburgh: William Bishop 1918), 42pp.
  • Education: Government White Paper (1944) and draft clauses: Short statement drawn up at the request of the General Assembly's Board of Education.
    (Belfast: The Author 1944), 12pp.
  • The General Assembly and the New Education Act (Belfast: General Assembly [1947]), 12pp. [Sole copy in QUB Library].
  • Episode in the History of Protestant Ulster, 1923-1947: Story of the Struggle of the Protestant Community to Maintain Bible instruction in their Schools (Belfast: Dorman & Sons [1959]), 152pp.; Do. rep. edn. [1964];
Autobiography
  • Glad Did I Live: Memoirs of a Long Life (Belfast: Belfast News-Letter Ltd., 1962), 389pp., ill. [pls. & ports.]
  • Memoirs of an Irish Manse: Pages from the Life Story of Joseph Corkey and His Wife, Isabella Sloane Corkey, Glenermott ((Belfast: Belfast News-Letter [1957)), 72pp.

 

Criticism
Ethel Corkey, David Corkey: A Life Story of Work in Slums, in a C ountry Parish and on the Battlefield (London: RTS 1927, 1929), 288pp., ill. [8 lvs. of pls.]

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References
Cathach Books (Cat. 1996-97) lists Memoirs of an Irish Manse: Pages from the Life of Joseph Corkery and his Wife Isabella Sloane (Belfast News-Letter), 72pp.

COPAC lists Ethel Corkey, David Corkey: A Life [... &c.] (1927, 1929). Also by Ethel Corkey, The way of the Hundred Stars [Via delle cento stelle] (London 1918), Jean (London: RTS [1919]), 303pp.; Mollie's Good Intentions (London[: RTS] 1921, 1925, 1936); The Magic Circle (London & Glasgow: Blackie & Son 1924), 256pp., ill. C. E. Brock; The Desert Island, adpt. from stories of E. Corkey [Blackie's Graded Story Readers] (London & Glasgow: Blackie & Son 1935), 47pp., 8o.

Further listings by writers of the name Corkery (COPAC at Dec. 2023)

William Corkey, The McCann Mixed Marriage Case: an address by the Rev. Wm. Corkey [2nd edn.] (Edinburgh: The Knox Club 1911), 18 [4]pp.

Alexander Corkey, The Truth about Ireland; or, Through the Emerald Isle with an Aeroplane ... [with] introduction showing the bright future of Ireland by Hon. William Jennings Bryan (London: Richard J. James [1910]), 112pp., 8o., ill. [port.]

Robert Corkey, War, Pacifism and Peace: A Study in Ultimate War Aims, for Peace-lovers in Britain and America (London: SPCK 1940), xi, 13-171pp.

J. McLarnon, with D. Corkey, A survey of facts, figures and opinion relating to the economic situation of Londonderry (Belfast: NI Community Relations Commission [1971]), 7pp. [lvs.].
—Available online; accessed 02.12.2023.

 

Notes
Kith & Kin: A brother, Rev. Robert was a Stormont MP and briefly served as Minister for education under Basil Brooke in the 1940s; another, David Corkey, served as a Presbyterian chaplain in the First World War, in which he lost an arm, dying some years after Armistice from wounds; there is biography by his wife with material from war-time letters & subsequent reminiscences including an account of a visit to Thiepval some months after the charge of the Ulster Division on 1 July 1916. (Information supplied by Patrick Maume, QUB.)

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