Walford , Cornelius , 1827-1885 , writer on insurance

Cornelius Walford was born in London and educated in Essex. He worked as a solicitor's clerk and as a journalist before studying for the bar at the Middle Temple, where he qualified as a barrister in 1860. In the 1850s he had already become an insurance agent and inspector, and his Insurance Guide and Handbook (published anonymously in 1857) was a bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic. Walford became director of the East London Bank in 1862 and subsequently managed and directed many firms and operations. He wrote several more works, including the 6-volume Insurance Cyclopedia (1871-1880) and articles on insurers and actuaries in the Dictionary of National Biography. Beyond the field of insurance Walford had strong interests in medieval history and in shorthand.