Draft:Seldon Charles Forrester Farmer

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  • Comment: A large number of these references are just listings or passing mentions, we need sources that cover him in-depth, there may be some here, but they are buried under a mountain of irrelevant unhelpful mentions. Theroadislong (talk) 18:06, 16 February 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: See WP:CITEKILL specifically the WP:REFBOMB section. One of the claims has 16 citations after it, while another has 8. Adding so many citations to a claim does not help to establish notability. Netherzone (talk) 18:00, 16 February 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: The long bullet list Career section should be trimmed of non-essential (trivial) details, and focus only on the most important aspects written in prose form. Excessive details about his cremation is unnecessary, just indicate the date and place of death. Netherzone (talk) 14:27, 16 February 2024 (UTC)


Seldon Charles Forrester Farmer, OBE (8 May 1905-20 January 1985) was Inner London Probation Service's third and longest serving principal probation officer[1][2]

Seldon Charles Forrester Farmer
Farmer around age 60
Born(1905-05-08)8 May 1905
Died20 January 1985(1985-01-20) (aged 79)
Beckenham, Kent, England
NationalityBritish
EducationKing Edward's School, Birmingham, England 1919 – 1921

Early life[edit]

Seldon Charles Forrester Farmer was born in East Molesey, Surrey to a journalist Charles Abraham Farmer and Annie Emma Farmer (née Johns). He was awarded a Scholarship to Rye Grammar School in 1916[3] and subsequently King Edward's School, Birmingham, England 1919 – 1921

He married Edith Anona Jane Quinton 2 August 1930 at St Barnabas Church, Eltham, Kent, England, with their only child, the textile and tapestry artist Mary Farmer born 6 August 1940 in Newbury, Berkshire, England.

Career[edit]

In 1930 Farmer left the London Office of the Boy Scouts Association with his leaving letter personally signed by Admiral Edward Mongomery PHILLPOTTS CB, Vice-Admiral HLP Heard and GWG May.

The initial formal role in probation was Police Court Missionary / Probation Officer at Thames Court, London, England (1937 - 1938). Once probation started to become a professional secularised service he took up the role of Probation Officer in Berkshire, England (1939 – 1943) being promoted to the role of Principal Probation Officer for Berkshire Probation Service (1943 – 1948).[4]. It was here his National and International influence and achievements began, including authoring papers reflecting Probation and Juvenile Delinquency in the USA.[5] He served as NAPO Chair[6][7][8] influencing the development of the National Probation Service[9] and using the Chairman's Address to Conference in May 1949.[10] His words continue to be relevant some 70 years later in academic texts in the field of probation. The death of penal welfare and the Christian nation: The secularisation of attitudes towards delinquency, citizenship, and morality in Britain, c. 1930-80.[11][12]

In 1948 Seldon Charles Forrester Farmer took up the role of Principal Probation Officer for Inner London Probation Service[13], a post he held until his retirement in 1970.[14][15][16][17] [18] Parliamentary Reports on invitation by Ministry in Brussels start to cement the international reach of his influence.[19]

International influence continued with the United Nations European Exchange Plan Seminar on the Institutional Treatment of Juvenile Offenders in Vienna, 1954.[20] Following inaccurate portrayals of probation in some television programmes he became a special advisor to ATV in 1959 for related programming.[21]

Seldon Charles Forrester Farmer's service was acknowledged with Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1961 New Year Honours[22] list. Indeed he is still remembered amongst former colleagues today and featured in the ARCOIP: The Association of Retired Chief Officers and Inspectors of Probation Newsletter in April 2024.[23]

He achieved a national and international reputation on the treatment of offenders, including juveniles[24][25] [26] and drug and alcohol dependence across several decades and led the administration of a large service.[27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] He was invited to address United Nations gatherings in Japan and France, the latter he presented in French[33] [34][35] and appointed Vice President for 1969 Proceedings of an International Symposium on the Drunkenness Offence held from 15 to 17 May 1968. [36] [37]

S C F Farmer, OBE received several Royal invitations, including Lunch with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II[38] and later in 1962 with Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret and Earl of Snowdon.

Later life[edit]

Seldon Farmer died on 20 January 1985[39] in Beckenham, Kent, England. His obituary in The Times gave a small flavour of his contribution to probation worldwide.[40]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Probation Centenary 2007 - A snap shot of the history of the probation service. National Probation Service. 2007.
  2. ^ May, C; Lord, S (2001). Recollections of Probation in Inner London. London: Inner London Probation Service.
  3. ^ "GUESTLING Award of Scholarship" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ Farmer, S. C. F. (30 January 1943). "Mr S. C. F. Farmer who is the new Principal Probation Officer for Berkshire". Reading Mercury, Oxford Gazette, Newbury Herald and Berks County Paper. p. 3.
  5. ^ Farmer, S.C.F. (1945). "Probation and Juvenile Delinquency in the U.S.a". Probation. 4 (11): 119–121. doi:10.1177/026455054500401101. S2CID 143934673.
  6. ^ "Branch Activities".
  7. ^ Gard, Raymond; Gard, Raymond L. (2014). Rehabilitation and probation in England and Wales, 1876 - 1962. London: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 196. ISBN 978-1-4725-2233-7. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  8. ^ "National Association of Probation Officers 35th Annual Report, 1946". Probation Journal. 5–9. May 1947.
  9. ^ Social Biology and Welfare. G. Allen & Unwin. 1949. ISBN 978-0-598-56500-6.
  10. ^ Farmer, S.C.F. (1949). "Chairman's Address to Conference". Probation. 5 (21): 275. doi:10.1177/026455054900502104. S2CID 145478034.
  11. ^ Niklasson, Magnus Bo (September 2016). The death of penal welfare and the Christian nation: The secularisation of attitudes towards delinquency, citizenship, and morality in Britain, c. 1930-80 (PDF). University of York. p. 141. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  12. ^ https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/17346/1/Magnus%20Niklasson%20-%20PhD%20thesis%20-%20The%20death%20of%20penal%20welfare.pdf p141
  13. ^ Volunteers in Prison After-Care: The Report of the Teamwork Associates Pilot Project. Routledge. 7 November 2021. ISBN 978-1-000-43868-0.
  14. ^ "Justice of the Peace and Local Government Review". Justice of the Peace, Limited. 1961.
  15. ^ New Society. New Society Limited. 1985.
  16. ^ Page, Martin (1992). Crimefighters of London: a history of the origins and development of the London Probation Service, 1876 - 1965. London: Inner London Probation Service. ISBN 0951671103.
  17. ^ Volunteers in Prison After-Care: The Report of the Teamwork Associates Pilot Project. Routledge. 7 November 2021. ISBN 978-1-000-43868-0.
  18. ^ Statham, Roger (24 September 2014). The Golden Age of Probation: Mission V Market. Waterside Press.
  19. ^ Sessional Papers. H.M. Stationery Office. 1966.
  20. ^ European Exchange Plan Seminar on the Institutional Treatment of Juvenile Offenders, Vienna, 27 September to 9 October 1954. 1955.
  21. ^ "ATV Show gets a Probation Officer" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ "Supplement to the London Gazette" (PDF). The Gazette. 31 December 1960. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  23. ^ Harding, John; Page, Martin; Whiting, Adrian; Cannings, Jim (April 2024). "A Slice of Probation History: The story of Seldon Charles Forrester Farmer". ARCOIP: The Association of Retired Chief Officers and Inspectors of Probation Newsletter: 9–16.
  24. ^ International Bibliography on Crime and Delinquency. The Center. 1965.
  25. ^ La delinquance juvénile en Belgique en 1958 et 1959. Centre D'Etude de la Delinquance Juvenile. 1961.
  26. ^ "International Child Welfare Review". The Union. 1957.
  27. ^ Federal Probation. Administrative Office of the United States Courts. 1962.
  28. ^ "REVUE DE DROIT PENAL ET DE CRIMINOLOGIE" (PDF). Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  29. ^ https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Presumed_Criminal/0CzvDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq='s.%20c.%20f.%20farmer'%20probation&pg=PA182&printsec=frontcover (cites Farmer's 1945 paper)
  30. ^ Report on the Work of the Probation and After-Care Department. H.M. Stationery Office. 1966.
  31. ^ Belgisch strafrecht. E. Story-Scientia. 1976.
  32. ^ Liste trimestrielle d'articles sélectionnés. 1965.
  33. ^ The 20-year History of UNAFEI: Regional Cooperation in Social Defence. Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders. 1982.
  34. ^ Annales internationales de criminologie. Société internationale de criminologie. 1968.
  35. ^ Le Service social. 1960.
  36. ^ The Drunkenness Offence: Proceedings of an International Symposium. Pergamon Press. 1969. ISBN 978-0-08-006420-8.
  37. ^ Cook, Timothy; Gath, Dennis; Hensman, Celia (1969). Proceedings of an International Symposium on the Drunkenness Offence held from 15 to 17 May 1968 at the Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital, London S.E. 5, under the auspices of Camberwell Council on Alcoholism and International Council on Alcohol and Addictions. Pergamon Press. ISBN 978-0-08-006420-8.
  38. ^ Audrey Whiting (12 May 1965). "The Queen's Table". Daily Mirror. Daily Mirror. p. 9. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  39. ^ "Seldon Charles Forrester FARMER (1905-1985) -..." www.findagrave.com.
  40. ^ Farmer, Seldon (11 February 1985). "The Times , 1985, UK, English". The Times. Retrieved 28 February 2024.