Information request- Lancashire nurseries and fruits.

               I have grafted an apple named "Jenny Lind" (celebrated Swedish singer during Victorian times),from the last surviving tree in an orchard planted between 1880 and 1890 in the hamlet of Catforth, west of Preston. This variety was once present in a former farm orchard in the Leyland area. Apple is culinary and apparently "so greasy that dust sticks to it!" As yet I have found no written record of this apple. One old tree of this name was discovered in a Gloucestershire village in the late 1990's and was grafted by the orchard group in that county. Comparisons will be made!
          Missing apple variety "Livsey's Imperial". Livsey's Imperial is a synonym for both Hollandbury and Lord Suffield, but this apple is different. Written information c1910 states that the variety had to be grown outside Leyland (where it was raised) because "sooty deposits from a nearby works rendered it unsaleable". Is there a Leyland link between Jenny Lind and Livsey's Imperial?!
         Missing apple variety "Livsey's Codlin" of large dessert size, oblong-conical, skin greenish yellow, with dull red flecks and stippling. Described in "The Apples of England" in the 1930's, this apple should still be around.
       Mr Livsey's nursery was at one time near the junction of Hall Lane and Golden Hill ,Leyland.
Any information about the origins of this establishment would be welcome.
       Lost apple variety "Green Soldier" exhibited from Westmorland in 1883, planted on the terraces opposite the Priory Church in Heysham in 1753 and known in the Pilling area in the 1950's.
      Lost apple variety " Painted Lady" which was recorded in 1831,skin yellow striped red; flesh very hard; season mid to late. Three trees of this variety blown down in a squall in August 1944 at Bradley Hall, Eccleston. Growing in the Cockerham area in the 1950's.
     Apple variety "Lord Rosebery" is in the National Collection and is reputed to be Scottish in origin. Known to have been grown in the Wigan area.

Pears
      Quite often pears of French and Belgian origin are given local names! Grafted on to pyrus communis ,they are very long-lived.

       The "Walton Weeper" pear (above) appears to be a variety local to South Lancashire. There is a written reference to it c1910 and anecdotal information that it was sent to the Wigan markets during the early years of the c20. Where was it raised? Is it associated with Higher Walton, Walton- le- dale or  Ulnes Walton near Leyland? The pear is small and very early in ripening (beginning of August) and old trees are still to be seen in the Eccleston area.

        "Green Slipper" pear (above) was known in the Eccleston area before the 1940's and grafts have been taken from a dying tree of this name  in the Forton area, 30 miles distant. Two trees of this variety were planted at the "new" walled garden at Wrightington Hall in 1791.

        Two different sources have mentioned a variety called "Stone " pear, alternative name "Winter Hacking" as being present in the Eccleston area. Stone pear (above) is mentioned in Scott's "Orchardist" of 1873 and grafts have been taken from a surviving tree. The pear "can be eaten after Christmas".

Introduction.

                  Members of regional  groups in Britain are engaged in many activities to highlight the value of our traditional orchards. Restorative pruning, grafting and budding, juicing, identification of varieties at Apple Days, the promotion of home grown fruit as opposed to tasteless imported supermarket fare.....and much more!
                 I am interested in old varieties of apples and pears growing in remnant orchards, mainly but not exclusively in the north of the U.K. There are written records of  many "local" fruits which were grown into the early c20; many of these old varieties are now "missing". The race is on to try and re-discover some of these "lost" apples and pears. They are an important part of our local heritage and many possess qualities well-suited to our northern climate.
                Old O.S maps provide invaluable information on the location of orchards, in particular the 1:10000 c.1845-1860's and 1:2500 1890's extracts. Lancashire County Council's Mario mapping system is freely available on the web. Orchard survey work  has been carried out by volunteers in recent years in Lancashire and Cumbria for The People's Trust for Endangered Species. Grafts have been taken from many old trees bearing apples and pears which have not been positively identified.
                Apple Days provide another rich source of information about old orchards and "mystery" varieties! We do try to make sure that we are not dealing with seedling trees- apples grown from pips do not come true to their parents.
              It is difficult to identify small, scabby specimens from neglected remnant fruit trees; by grafting new trees we produce much better fruits with the characteristics that may match historic descriptions.
            At present a large number of unidentified apple and pear varieties grafted from very old trees in the north of England is being assembled at the site of a former commercial orchard south of Preston.