Brougham

Pear

Brougham

Origin/History

An English variety. Per The Herefordshire Pomona (1885), the variety was named the Brougham Pear after Lord Brougham, who approved of the fruit sent to him by the namer.

Tree

Not described in source.

Fruit

Size: Sources disagree. Elliott (1865) describes the fruit as "below medium." The Herefordshire Pomona (1885) states it is "nearly of the middle size" and adds in a note that "the Pear is as large as the Autumn Bergamot."

Form: Sources disagree. Elliott (1865) and The Herefordshire Pomona (1885) describe the fruit as obovate. Downing (1900) and Thomas (1903) describe it as roundish-oblate.

Stem: Short (Elliott 1865; Herefordshire Pomona 1885, which uses "stalk short").

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx/Eye: Open. The Herefordshire Pomona (1885) specifies the eye is set "in a regularly-formed depression."

Basin: Regularly-formed depression around the eye (Herefordshire Pomona 1885).

Skin: Sources vary in emphasis. Elliott (1865) and The Herefordshire Pomona (1885) describe the skin as yellowish russet. Downing (1900) describes it as greenish yellow with some russet. Thomas (1903) describes it as greenish-yellow.

Flesh/Flavor: Sources disagree markedly on flesh character. Elliott (1865) describes the flesh as "yellowish white, a little gritty, buttery, sugary" and rates the quality "very good." The Herefordshire Pomona (1885) describes it as "yellowish white, buttery, a little gritty near the core, sugary and rich," adding that the sort "is highly deserving of cultivation where flavour, rather than size, is the principal object." Downing (1900) and Thomas (1903), by contrast, describe the flesh as "coarse, astringent."

Core/Seeds: The Herefordshire Pomona (1885) notes the flesh is "a little gritty near the core." Seeds not described in source.

Season

November.

Uses

The Herefordshire Pomona (1885) recommends it for cultivation "where flavour, rather than size, is the principal object."

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Note that this variety is a pear (as identified in The Herefordshire Pomona 1885 under the heading "Brougham Pear"), notwithstanding the bare "Brougham" heading used by Elliott, Downing, and Thomas.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

View original book sources (4)

Brougham.

Foreign. Fruit, below medium, obovate, yellowish russet; stem, short; calyx, open; flesh yellowish white, a little gritty, buttery, sugary; "very good." November.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Brougham Pear.

Nearly of the middle size, obovate. Eye open in a regularly-formed depression. Stalk short. Skin, yellowish russet. Flesh yellowish white, buttery, a little gritty near the core, sugary and rich. Season, November. This sort is highly deserving of cultivation where flavour, rather than size, is the principal object.

Note.—The Pear is as large as the Autumn Bergamot. I named it the Brougham Pear after Lord Brougham who approved of the fruit I sent him.

— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)

Brougham.

An English variety.

Fruit roundish oblate. Skin greenish yellow, some russet. Flesh coarse, astringent. November.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Brougham. Roundish-oblate, greenish-yellow; coarse; astringent. November. English.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)