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HERBERT ROOKE OLDFIELD (1859 – 1940)

RDP 1922

A solicitor, Oldfield was Honorary Secretary of The Royal Philatelic Society, London from 1917 until 1926, having been joint secretary since 1914, and was for many years Chairman of the Permanent Executive Committee of the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain.

In 1937 he became its first life member. In the former capacity he was instrumental in acquiring 41 Devonshire Place as the headquarters of the Society. In the latter he played a major part in the establishment of the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists.

He was a member of the Board of Election 1921-1938, serving as its Chairman 1923-24; 1926; 1928-30 and 1932-35.

He joined the then London Philatelic Society in 1892, He became a Life Fellow of the in 1922 and was awarded the Tapling Medal in 1923 for a display of The Stamps of India: Early Issues.

Oldfield formed extensive collections of the early stamps of India and of Bolivia, Bosnia, Chinese locals and Formosa, Colombia, Persia, and Swiss Cantonals. His book on the Stamps of the Treaty Ports of China and Formosa was published by Séfi, Pemberton & Company in 1927.

As early as 1895 he was Honorary Secretary of the Society for the Suppression of Speculative Issues and later became a leading member and Chairman of the British Philatelic Association until his death. He was for some time the Chairman of the International Philatelic Union.