Draft:Seldon Charles Forrester Farmer

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

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

He married Edith Anona Jane Quinton on 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
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). . It was here his national and international influence and achievements began, including authoring papers reflecting Probation and Juvenile Delinquency in the USA. He served as NAPO Chair influencing the development of the National Probation Service and using the Chairman's Address to Conference in May 1949. 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.

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

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

Seldon Charles Forrester Farmer's service was acknowledged with Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1961 New Year Honours 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.

He achieved a national and international reputation on the treatment of offenders, including juveniles and drug and alcohol dependence across several decades and led the administration of a large service. He was invited to address United Nations gatherings in Japan and France, the latter he presented in French and appointed Vice President for 1969 Proceedings of an International Symposium on the Drunkenness Offence held from 15 to 17 May 1968.

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

Later life
Seldon Farmer died on 20 January 1985 in Beckenham, Kent, England. His obituary in The Times gave a small flavour of his contribution to probation worldwide. His memorial is in Wandsworth Cemetery, close to the area he was born in and spent his early years.