Captain Alfred Edward Corbett was born in 1873 at Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, the younger son and third of the four children of Manchester architect Joseph Corbett (1842-1913) and Mary Emmeline Corbett née Hunt (1843-1903). His father was an architect and sanitary engineer who would later become the Borough Engineer in the County Borough of Salford. His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1873 in the Salford registration district.
The 1881 census shows him living at 62 Murray Street, Broughton, Salford, with his parents, three siblings: Harold Corbett (1869-1925), Ada Mary Corbett (1871-1958) and Edith Margaret Corbett (1875-1952), together with a female general servant. In the 1891 census the family had moved to 64 Murray Street, Broughton, and he is recorded as living there as an architect's pupil with his parents, his three siblings and an a female domestic servant.
He studied architecture at the Manchester Technical College and on graduating joined Woodhouse, Corbett and Dean Architects with offices at 100 King Street, Manchester. He rose to become a partner and worked on major projects in Manchester and London. His most famous building was the grand YMCA building on Peter Street, Manchester (now St. Georges House), which was the first building in Manchester to use reinforced concrete in its design.
In the 1901 census he is shown as an architect's assistant, boarding at the home of Frederick and Mary Harding at 31 Haselrigge Road, Clapham. His designs were exhibited a number of times at the Royal Academy and he eventually returned to Manchester Technical College as a lecturer on architecture and building. By the time of the 1911 census he was living at 'Highleigh', Whaley Bridge, Cheshire and was an inspector of schools. On the census he was shown as an architect living with his widowered father, both his sisters and a female general domestic servant.
Having served in the volunteers, the forerunner of the Territorial Army, on the outbreak of World War One, aged 41 years, he joined as a Private in the 16th (Service) Battalion (Public Schools), The Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment, service number 838. In early 1915 he was commissioned into the 11th (Service) Battalion, Border Regiment (Lonsdale). He went to France with the battalion in November 1915 and after a course at the Royal Staff College, Camberley he returned to his unit and was promoted to Captain in command of “D” Company. On 1st July 1916 he led his company into the attack at the Somme and was killed in action, aged 43 years. As he has no known grave he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Rue de l'Ancre, Thiepval, Somme, France.
Probate records show his address to have been 1 Westbourne Villas, Ash Road, Headingley, Leeds, Yorkshire and on 6 October 1916 probate was granted to the Public Trustee with his effects valued as £1,874-12s-1d. On 28 February 1917 his army effects totalling £133-9s-5d were sent to the Deputy Public Trustee who was also sent his £5-0s-0d war gratuity on 4 March 1920. He was posthumously awarded the 1914 -1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal and these were sent to his brother, Harold Corbett at 6 Richmond Grove, Barlow Road, Levenshulme, Manchester on 2 March 1922.
He is also commemorated on the Manchester Municipal College of Technology Memorial in the Sackville Building, University of Manchester and on the Whaley Bridge War Memorial in the Memorial Park, Wheatsheaf Road, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
