Henry Edward Farmer was born in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England in 1865 and was articled to P. Brewitt in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. He also attended Wolverhampton School of Art. After completing his articles he worked as an assistant to various architects including William Flockhart (1852-1913) and William Wallace (c.1845-?) of Flockhart & Wallace, and to F. J. Beech from 1889 to 1892.
Farmer commenced practice as an independent architect in 1892 and in 1896 formed a partnership with John Harry Woodall Hickton (1868-1940) as Hickton & Farmer in Walsall, Staffordshire. The firm specialised in the design of cinemas. By 1910, they were architects to Electric Picture Palaces, Midlands Ltd, and were designing cinemas for them in Birmingham. They also designed numerous cinemas for other firms throughout Britain.
By 1923 Hickton & Farmer had been renamed Hickton, Farmer & Farmer. The partnership seems to have been dissolved by 1932 as Hickton and Farmer & Farmer are listed separately in the Kelly's Directory for that year, however both give 4, St Paul's Close, Walsall as their office address.
Farmer was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1901 and during World War One Farmer was Chief Architect for Admiralty Control. From 1919 to 1921 he was Housing Commissioner at the Ministry of Health. He died on 27 January 1934. His address was given as given as Journeys End, Little Aston, Staffordshire at the time of his death.
Romford High Schools; cinemas in Exeter, Portsmouth, Hove, Walsall, West Bromwich, King's Norton, Hanley, Attercliffe. New Whittington, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and Sheffield. Chepstow: — New Villages and Hospital, Ministry of Shipping; Housing at Jarrow, Hepburn, Newcastle, etc., for the Ministry of Shipping, 1916-18. Boys' riveting schools at Beverley, Invergordon, Irvine, Scotstoun, and Willington Quay, for the Admiralty. Housing Schemes: — Oakengates, Brierley Hill, City of Birmingham, Erdington, Alum Rock, South Yardley, and Hall green. Churches: — Walsall (Wesleyan), Bloxwich (P.M.), Woodford, London, N. (P.M.), and Brierley Hill (P.M.). Various residences at Sheffield; South Elmsall, Yorks; and Knowle. (Many of the above works were executed in partnership with J. H. Hickton, F.R.I.B.A.) [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1926]
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001