From the Living Museum
Duke of Devonshire
- Origin
- Holker Hall, Lancashire, England; raised 1835
- Era
- Raised 1835; introduced c. 1875
- Type / use
- Dessert
History & Stories
Dessert apple raised in 1835 at Holker Hall in Lancashire, a Duke of Devonshire estate, by the head gardener Wilson; it reached the trade about 1875 1. Good flavor and quality reported; part of the broader Victorian-era English dessert apple heritage.
Folklore & Name
English dessert apple of the 19th century or earlier. Named for the Duke of Devonshire, whose gardener Wilson raised it at Holker Hall in 1835; also called Holker Pippin 1.
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
Despite its name, Duke of Devonshire comes from the north of England, not Devon. The UK National Fruit Collection says it was "raised in 1835 by Wilson, gardener to the Duke of Devonshire at Holker Hall, Lancashire," and "introduced in about 1875" 1. Holker Hall, near Cartmel, was one of the Cavendish family's estates, which explains the name. Its synonyms include Holker Pippin 1.
What we think: stories & traditions
A head gardener's seedling. Great estates of the 19th century had skilled gardeners who raised seedlings in the hope of finding something worth naming for their employer. This apple seems to be one of the successes. It took about forty years, from 1835 to around 1875, to reach the wider public 1. We don't know more about Wilson himself.
The National Fruit Collection describes the fruit as "firm, fine-textured, rather dry" with "a rich, nutty flavour" 1.
Sources
- UK National Fruit Collection, "Duke of Devonshire." www.nationalfruitcollection.org.uk/full2.php?id=1700&fruit=apple
Curious about Duke of Devonshire?
Email us at drgoss@honeytreeorchard.com.