John Farrah | |
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| Born | 28 May 1849 Harrogate, North Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 13 November 1907 (aged 58) Knaresborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Grocer, confectioner, botanist, meteorologist |
| Known for | – Development of Farrah's Harrogate toffee business – 1903 discovery of fungus sp. Entoloma farrahi (description in question as of 1948) |
John Farrah, F.L.S., F.R.Met.S (28 May 1849 – 13 November 1907) was a British grocer, confectioner, biologist and meteorologist from Harrogate, North Riding of Yorkshire, England. In the late 19th century he developed the business strategy for Farrah's toffee shop which he inherited from his family in Harrogate. He was made a fellow of the Meteorological Society in 1894. He was president of the botanical section of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, working with Thomas Sheppard, George Edward Massee, William Eagle Clarke and Charles Crossland, and in 1903 discovered the mycological species Entoloma farrahi, which was named after him, although there has been some question as to its identity since then. He was a close friend of Harrogate historian William Grainge and for some years they were "constant companions", supporting each other in their work. The American mycologist George Francis Atkinson described him as a "great Yorkshire character". Farrah married three times, and had three children.