Stafford Somerfield
Stafford William Somerfield (9 January 1911–14 January 1995)newspaper editor.
Early life
Born in
Daily Telegraph and the News Chronicle. During World War II he served with the Gloucestershire Regiment, rising to become a major.[2]
Newspaper career
When the war ended, Somerfield joined the News of the World, and in 1960, he was appointed as its editor. He prioritised shocking stories and printed explicit details of Diana Dors and Christine Keeler's lives. He often fell into conflict with the Press Council, particularly after paying David Smith, chief prosecution witness in the Moors murders case, on condition that the suspects were convicted.[2]
In common with the Carr family, Somerfield vociferously opposed
xenophobic.[3] He objected to Rupert Murdoch's eventual purchase of a majority of the title's stock from the Carrs a few months later. He was asked to resign in February 1970 by Murdoch, now chairman of the company, and reportedly took an offer of £100,000 to leave.[5]
Later life
In retirement, he became a judge at
Married first, 1934: Gertrude Frances Camfield, by whom he had two daughters. Divorced 1950. Married second, 1951, Elizabeth Egerton, daughter of Lt-Col Arthur Egerton Cotton,Governor of Madras from 1770 to 1773.[7] Elizabeth Somerfield's first husband, Francis Montgomery, was son of the politician and lawyer Robert Mortimer Montgomery.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 1, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 872
- ^ a b c Bernard Shrimsley, "Blood-lust of a newshound", The Guardian, 16 January 1995
- ^ a b Roy Greenslade Press Gang: How Newspapers Make Profits From Propaganda, London: Pan, 2004 [2003], p. 395
- ^ Bill Grundy "The Press: Mr Maxwell and the Ailing Giant", The Spectator, 24 October 1968, p. 6
- ^ "'News of the World' editor sacked", Glasgow Herald, 27 February 1970, p. 26
- ProQuest 318235688.
- ^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, vol. 1, p. 872, vol. 2, p. 1679
