Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1924 (Creation)
- 1882 - 1952 (Creation)
Level of description
Item
Extent and medium
1 volume (483pp) with cuttings, photographs and other memorabilia
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Henry George Farmer was born in Birr Barracks on 17 January 1882 and was later baptised in the Garrison Church. He was the son of Sergeant Henry George Farmer and Mary Anne Farmer (nee Moore), Depot, Leinster Regiment.
Henry had three siblings, Martha Mary who was born in London and sadly a brother and sister who died in infancy, both of whom were interred in Birr Military Cemetery.
Henry was an accomplished musician at a young age. He joined the Royal Artillery, at Birr as a ‘boy soldier’ just a month and ten days after his 14 birthday on 27 February 1896. Upon joining he was recorded as being four foot and six and a half inches tall. He has brown eyes and light brown hair. Initially he played the violin and clarinet, but took private lessons on the horn.
Throughout his life Henry was also a prolific writer, his first published piece was a ‘Sketch of the Leinster Regiment’ which appeared in the King’s County Chronicle in 1901, in this he outlined the history and origins of this famous Irish regiment. Farmer’s next publication in 1904 was a far more substantial ‘Memoirs of the Royal Artillery Band: its origin, history and progress.'
Henry left the Royal Artillery Band in November 1911 due to medical reasons. Soon afterwards he took up a job as a musical director in the Broadway Theatre, New Cross, London. Later in 1914 he was offered musical directorship of the Coliseum Theatre in Glasgow but soon transferred to the Empire Theatre also in Glasgow. He remained there for 33 years.
During this time he become an external student at the University of Glasgow, later becoming a postgraduate there and completing his master’s degree and PhD. Farmer’s doctorate thesis, which he completed in 1926 was ‘A musical history of the Arabs’. Other music interests of Henry were Irish and Scottish music, which saw a publication in 1947 ‘A history of music in Scotland’.
Henry Farmer married Amy Maud Jackson in 1904. He died at the age of 83 in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Repository
Archival history
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Vol 1 of two volume history 'The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment Royal Canadians' by Lieut-Col F. E. Whittington, CM G (1924).
This volume contains press cuttings, photographs and other memorabilia, some loose and others pasted in, as follows:
Theatre programme for Prince of Wales Theatre, Dinapore (1874)
Photograph of 'Jumbo', the panther mascot of the 109th Foot (Bombay Infantry) with Sgt. Major William C. Affleck (Farmer's uncle) in seated group portrait with five other infantry men and the panther.
Photograph of Sergeant Henry G. Farmer in uniform (1882)
Photograph of winning team at the Army Inter-regimental Rifle Match (Birr Barracks) with Sgt Farmer identified. Verso contains cutting from King's County Chronicle, 15 Apr. 1889 about the match, and caption identifying all team members in photograph (1889)
Colour photograph of the coffee bar of the Leinster Depot, Birr c. 1920. Note reads: The Coffee Bar was founded by my father in 1892, the funds for which were raised by concerts organised by him at which I played as a boy. H.G. F. ' (1920)
Rules of the Old Comrades' Association (1931)
Letters concerning the relocation of the Crinkle Bell to Australia with the monks of Mount St Joseph. (1954)
Photograph Old Comarades Association of the Leinster Regiment Annual Dinner, London,( May 1952)
Photograph of Annual Dinner Old Comrades of the Leinster Regiment, with Henry Farmer and his wife Gladys identified (1952).
Newspaper obits and memoriam cards for William Kerrigan. (1955)
Letter from John Walker, British Museum. thanking Henry for donating canteen tokens used in Birr Barracks in 1885. (1957)
Newspaper cutting on the unveiling of a commemorative window to the Leinster Regiment in St Brendan's RC Church, Birr (1964)
Postcard of the Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)