From the Living Museum
Devonshire Crimson Queen
- Origin
- Tamar Valley on the Devon–Cornwall border, probably near St Dominic, Cornwall
- Era
- First recorded 1953 (thought to be much older)
- Type / use
- Dessert
History & Stories
Rare West Country variety with crimson coloration, claimed by both Devon and Cornwall; also known as Cornish Crimson Queen, Queenie and the St. Dominic Apple 1,2. Sparse modern documentation; valued by collectors of West Country apples for its local authenticity.
Folklore & Name
Rare Tamar Valley variety, named by each county after itself 1. Name descriptive of the crimson coloration. Limited documentation outside regional West Country collections.
Digging into the History
Below my own notes, here is what the old fruit books and today’s collections record about this apple, kept apart from the stories people tell.
What we know
Devonshire Crimson Queen, often listed as Devon Crimson Queen, is a West Country apple that both Devon and Cornwall claim. Bernwode Fruit Trees dates the first record to 1953, when it came into the National Fruit Trials from Launceston, Cornwall, but adds that "it is clearly a very old variety" 1. Bernwode also explains the name: both counties named the apple after themselves; Devon Crimson Queen has become the usual name, though some people still say Cornish Crimson Queen Other names are Queenie and the St. Dominic Apple 1. The Pomiferous apple database says it "originated near St. Dominic in Cornwall's Tamar Valley" 2, and the People's Trust for Endangered Species' FruitFinder lists Cornwall as the county where it was raised 3.
The competing accounts
- Bernwode Fruit Trees 1: first recorded in 1953, from Launceston, Cornwall; both counties named it after themselves.
- Pomiferous 2: from the Cornish side of the Tamar Valley, around the village of St Dominic.
- People's Trust for Endangered Species, FruitFinder 3: county of origin Cornwall.
Most likely (our judgment, not a certainty): the Cornish side of the Tamar Valley. All three sources point to Cornwall, although the name Devon Crimson Queen is now the accepted one.
What we think: stories & traditions
An apple of the Tamar border. The Tamar River divides Devon from Cornwall, and the valley was famous for its orchards. An apple from that valley would naturally be claimed by both sides, which may explain the double naming 1,2. "Clearly a very old variety" is Bernwode's judgment 1; we found no written record before 1953.
It is an early-season dessert apple, picked in August and September 1.
Sources
- Bernwode Fruit Trees, "Apple Trees 13: Historic Varieties" (Devon Crimson Queen). bernwodefruittrees.co.uk/descriptions/apple13.htm
- Pomiferous, "Queenie" (synonym Devon Crimson Queen). pomiferous.com/applebyname/queenie-id-5165
- People's Trust for Endangered Species, Orchard Varieties (FruitFinder), "Devonshire Crimson Queen." ptes.org/orchard-varieties/devonshire-crimson-queen/
Curious about Devonshire Crimson Queen?
Email us at drgoss@honeytreeorchard.com.