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Joseph Farmer (1878-1951) pictured circa 1940s

A Derby Evening Telegraph cutting reports the death of Joseph Farmer in March 1951

Athletics in the 21st century is certainly big business. But at a local level in Derby the pursuit of 'track and field' is not as prominent as it once was, for between the wars Derby and County Athletic Club were one of the leading lights in the country, and personalities within its ranks were well-known figures in the town.

The key role within the club in that inter-war heyday was the position of club trainer - quite a high-profile position within the confines of Derby at that time - and the one name that occurs in the Derby Athletic Club annals more than any other is JOSEPH FARMER. It is perhaps not surprising, for 'Joe' Farmer was trainer to Derby and County Athletic Club for over 30 years, holding the position from 1914 to 1945.

Information on Joe Farmer has not been easy to come by, but here is what sports historians and family history enthusiasts have revealed of him thus far:

Joseph Farmer was born in Derby in 1878, the third of five brothers. His father was Thomas Farmer, who had moved to Derby from Swinscoe, Staffordshire, his birthplace. Joseph's mother was Mary Ann, formerly Mary Ann Bradshaw, who hailed originally from Stanton, Staffordshire.

Little is known of Joe Farmer's early life, save that his childhood homes in Derby were first 7 Frederick Street, and then 5 Langley Street and 80 Manchester Street. But it seems outdoor pursuits were in the family's blood, for reports from newspapers in Ashbourne show that Joe's older brother John T. Farmer (born 1874) was involved in organising sports there on the Shaw Croft in the 1890s.

More is known of Joe Farmer's adult life. He began work as a boot and shoe maker, and at age 24, on 31 January 1903, married a Derby girl, Rhoda Louisa Peel. The couple began married life in Manchester Street, and with an instant family too, for Louisa (as she was known) already had a three-year-old son Reginald Sherwin Peel from a previous unmarried relationship. Louisa bore Joseph two sons of his own - Sydney Farmer and Frank Farmer - and the family subsequently moved to 159 Randolph Road.

Joe Farmer did not continue as a shoe maker, but became instead a long-term employee of the LMS Carriage and Wagon Works, where he was an electrical engineer.

But aside from work and family, his consuming passion was sport. In his younger days he was a keen footballer, and around 1910 was manager of Ashbourne Road Wesleyans FC, one of the best sides in Derby. His effectiveness was noted in the wider sporting arena, and in 1914, at the age of 36, he was appointed trainer to the Derby and County Athletic and Cycling Club. The club subsequently dropped the 'cycling' tag, but not Joe Farmer - he remained the club's trainer until the age of 67, eventually being granted a testimonial fund before standing down in 1945 after a tenure of 31 years.

By then he had also retired from Carriage and Wagon the year before, but his more leisurely time without the burden of work and training duties was relatively short-lived. Joe Farmer died in Derby's Manor Hospital on 27 March 1951, aged 73, and was cremated at Nottingham Crematorium, the same facility at Markeaton, Derby, not yet having opened.

The Derby Evening Telegraph reported his death under a fitting headline - 'HIS ASHES WILL BE SCATTERED OVER CLUB'S CROSS-COUNTRY COURSE' - and reminded readers that amongst his successes was the production of three internationals from the Derby club: Halland Britton, Tom Metcalfe, and Jack Winfield.

Few if any alive today will remember Joe Farmer, but the man once dubbed Derby's 'Mr. Athletics' thoroughly deserves his own modest place in the city's sporting heritage.

Do any senior readers recall the Derby and County Athletic Club at the time Joe Farmer was trainer? Perhaps there are photographs from that era? Or did you know Joseph and Louisa Farmer when they lived in Randolph Road? Any information can be added here by clicking the edit link.

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County:  Derbyshire

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