Gilles
PearGilles
Origin/History
Gilles is a French pear of very ancient and uncertain origin (Hedrick; Bunyard). Bunyard notes it has been grown for four centuries. Jean Bauhin in his Historia Plantarum (1580) wrote of a pear which appears to be identical with this and said that in Burgundy it was styled a Poire de Livre or Pound Pear (Hedrick). Le Lectier in his catalog of 1628 and Merlet, as well as Claude Saint-Etienne and La Quintinye, also mention it though spelling it variously (Hedrick). Elliott, Downing, and Thomas all classify the variety as foreign/French.
The curious name of this fruit has been the subject of much discussion. Bunyard endorses the explanation suggested by M. Messager, who points out that many places where the monasteries of the order of St. Denis were established had the termination "ogile." Thus altum-ogile became in French Altogile, finally Auteuil; Argentogile became Argenteuil. In the same way Girum-ogilium gave Girogile, which Bunyard considers the oldest spelling of Gilogil and which he therefore adopts.
Tree
Growth sturdy, making a large, spreading standard; fertility good (Bunyard). Leaf round, very large, down curved, boldly and irregularly serrate, hangs late, turning dull crimson red (Bunyard). Other sources do not describe the tree.
Fruit
Size: Large (Elliott; Downing; Thomas), to very large (Hedrick). Bunyard gives dimensions of 3¾ by 3¾.
Form: Sources differ slightly. Elliott and Downing describe it as roundish; Thomas as roundish; Bunyard as flattened round; Hedrick as nearly spherical.
Stem: Rather short, in a rather narrow cavity (Bunyard). Not described in other sources.
Cavity: Rather narrow (Bunyard). Not described in other sources.
Calyx/Eye: Eye large, a little open, in a wide, even basin (Bunyard). Calyx large, open, set in a deep basin (Hedrick). The sources thus agree that the eye/calyx is large and open, but disagree on the basin — Bunyard describes it as wide and even, while Hedrick describes it as deep.
Basin: See Calyx above.
Skin: Elliott: reddish russet. Downing: thickly covered with russet, with a reddish russet cheek. Thomas: russeted. Bunyard: a little rough, golden yellow with some rough russet and brown-red flush. Hedrick: thick, pale dull green, washed with brown-red on the face exposed to the sun, much covered with thin brown-russet.
Flesh/Flavor: Downing: very firm and crisp. Thomas: crisp. Bunyard: white, a little breaking, cooking a rich red. Hedrick: greenish-white, semi-fine and semi-breaking, rarely gritty, very juicy, saccharine and sweet, without much perfume, occasionally spoiled by too much acerbity; rated "third" in quality.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
November to February (Elliott; Downing; Hedrick). December to February (Bunyard). Winter (Thomas).
Uses
A culinary/cooking pear. Downing: "only fit for cooking" and describes it as a large showy French pear. Thomas: cooking. Bunyard: culinary, noting that the flesh cooks a rich red. Hedrick: cooking.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920) — listed as GIROGILE
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Gilogil
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Gilogil
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Gilogil
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 5 catalogs (1900–1917) from England
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900 — listed as Gilogil
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911 — listed as Gilogil
- Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913 — listed as Gilogil
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914 — listed as Gilogil
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917 — listed as Gilogil
View original book sources (5)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Gilogil. Gile-o-gile, | Garde d'Ecosse, Poire à Gobert, | Jilogil. Foreign. Large, roundish, reddish russet. November, February.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)GILOGIL.
Bergamotte Geerard. Gros Gilot. Bellegarde. Gros Gobet. Beurré Geerards. Teton de Venus. Ciré d'Hiver. Fontarabie à cure. Garde Ecorce. Girogille. Gile-o-gile. Gros Franc Real. Poire à Gobert. Gros Guy Grillaud. Garde d'Ecosse. Livre de Burgoyne. Jilogil. Pequini. Gilot. Poire de 16 Ounces. Gobert. Bis de Loup.
A large showy French Pear, only fit for cooking. Fruit large, roundish. Skin thickly covered with russet, with a reddish russet cheek. Flesh very firm and crisp. November to February.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Gilogil. Large, roundish, russeted; crisp—cooking. Winter. French.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)GIROGILE. Her. Pom., II., 60. (Gilogil, Gilles-ô-Gilles, Girogile.) Culinary, flattened round, December to February, large 3¾ by 3¾. Skin a little rough, golden yellow with some rough russet and brown-red flush. Stem, rather short in a rather narrow cavity. Eye, large, a little open, in a wide, even basin. Flesh, white, a little breaking, cooking a rich red. Growth, sturdy, making a large, spreading standard; fertility good. Leaf round, very large, down curved, boldly, and irregularly serrate, hangs late, turning dull crimson red. Origin, of great antiquity, has been grown for four centuries. The curious name of this fruit has been the subject of much discussion, but I think the most reasonable origin is that suggested by M. Messager. He points out that many places where the monasteries of the order of St. Denis were established had the termination "ogile." Thus altum-ogile became in French Altogile, finally Auteuil; Argentogile-Argenteuil. In the same way Girum-ogilium gave Girogile, which is the oldest spelling of Gilogil, and which I, therefore, adopt.
Girofle*: see Rousselet de Rheims.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)GILLES.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:222, fig. 1869.
- Mathieu Nom. Pom. 219. 1889. Girogile. 3. Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 177. 1920.
A French pear of very ancient and uncertain origin. Jean Bauhin in his Historia Plantarum, 1580, wrote of a pear which appears to be identical with this and said that in Burgundy it was styled a Poire de Livre or Pound Pear. Le Lectier in his catalog of 1628 and Merlet as well as Claude Saint-Etienne and La Quintinye also mention it though spelling it variously. Fruit large to very large, nearly spherical; calyx large, open, set in deep basin; skin thick, pale dull green, washed with brown-red on the face exposed to the sun, much covered with thin brown-russet; flesh greenish-white, semi-fine and semi-breaking, rarely gritty, very juicy, saccharine and sweet, without much perfume, occasionally spoiled by too much acerbity; third; cooking; Nov. to Feb.