Messire Jean
Pear
Messire Jean (Pear)
Origin and History
An old French pear of ancient and untraceable origin, mentioned by Venette of Rochelle, France, in 1678 and 1683 (Hedrick). It had long been held in high estimation in France (Coxe). Downing lists numerous synonyms under which it circulated, including Chaulis, Emmilacour, Marion, Monsieur Jean, Messire Jean Gris, Messire Jean Blanc, Messire Jean Doré, Mr. John, John, Communauté, Conlis, and Couvent. Coxe also notes it was sometimes called the Monsieur Jean Dorée. In the mid-Atlantic region of America, Coxe (1817) observed it was very apt to rot.
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium size (Downing, Hedrick), though Coxe notes it can grow large on young trees and rich ground. Shape turbinate (Downing, Hedrick), with Hedrick adding that it is sometimes slightly obovate. The surface is slightly bossed (Hedrick). Coxe describes the blossom end as full and round, diminishing suddenly toward the stem.
Stem: Of moderate length (Coxe).
Skin: Rough (Coxe, Hedrick) and thick (Hedrick). Coxe and Downing describe the fully ripe color as yellow with a portion of russet — Downing specifying it is nearly covered with brown russet. Hedrick gives a more detailed account: the ground color is dark green, passing to buff at maturity, washed with dark red on the sun-exposed side, and strewed with speckles of darker russet.
Flesh and Flavor: Sources conflict here. Coxe calls the flesh coarse, juicy, and sprightly but not very rich or highly flavored. Downing similarly describes it as gritty, white, crisp, juicy, and breaking, with a very sweet flavor. Hedrick, by contrast, describes the flesh as white, slightly tinged with lemon, rather fine, breaking, juicy, richly saccharine, perfumed, and sprightly — a noticeably more favorable assessment of both texture and richness than Coxe or Downing. The "breaking" texture (as opposed to buttery or melting) is consistent across all three sources. Quality rated Good (Downing); good for dessert or kitchen use (Hedrick).
Season
Sources disagree on ripening time. Coxe gives October. Downing and Hedrick both give November and December. The later dates from two independent sources suggest October may represent an early-ripening local condition or a different strain; November–December should be considered the standard season.
Uses
Suitable for both dessert and kitchen use (Hedrick).
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- MESSIRE JEAN, OR MR. JOHN.
This pear is held in high estimation in France, but in this part of America it is very apt to rot; it is of moderate size, but sometimes on young trees and rich ground, it grows large; the blossom end is full and round, diminishing suddenly towards the stem, which is of moderate length; the skin is rough, and when fully ripe, yellow, with a portion of russet. It is sometimes called the Monsieur Jean doree; the flesh is coarse, juicy, and sprightly; but not very rich or highly flavoured---it ripens in October.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)MESSIRE JEAN.
Chaulis. Messire Jean Doré. Emmilacour. Mr. John. Marion. John. Monsieur Jean. Communauté. Messire Jean Gris. Conlis. Messire Jean Blanc. Couvent.
An old French Pear, of rather coarse-grained and gritty.
Fruit of medium size, turbinate, yellow, nearly covered with brown russet. Flesh gritty, white, crisp, juicy, and breaking, with a very sweet flavor. Good. November and December.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Messire Jean.
i. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:173, Pl. XXVI. 1768. 2. Hogg Fruit Man. 616. 1884.
Of ancient and untraceable origin, but mentioned by Venette, Rochelle, Fr., in 1678 and 1683. Fruit medium, turbinate, sometimes slightly obovate, surface slightly bossed; skin rough, thick, dark green, passing to buff, washed with dark red on the side of the sun, strewed with speckles of darker russet; flesh white, slightly tinged with lemon, rather fine, breaking, juicy, richly saccharine, perfumed, sprightly; good, either for dessert or kitchen use; Nov. and Dec.