John Winnifrith

Who was John Winnifrith?

Sir Alfred John Digby Winnifrith KCB was a senior British Civil Servant at the Ministry of Agriculture.

Winnifrith was born at Ightham, Kent, the son of Rev Bertram Winnifrith. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. He entered the Board of Trade in 1932 and went to the Treasury in 1934. During World War II he was seconded to be Assistant Secretary to the War Cabinet Office and Civil Service Combined Operation HQ from 1942 to 1944. He was awarded CB in 1950. In 1957 he became Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and was knighted KCB in 1959.

On retirement in 1967 Winnifrith was Trustee of the British Museum from 1967 to 1972, Director General of the National Trust from 1968 to 1970, a member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution 1970 to 1973, a member of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission from 1970 to 1973, and the of the Hops Marketing Board from 1970 to 1978.

He married Lesbia, eldest daughter of Sir Arthur Cochrane and had three children. His sister was the actress Anna Lee.