Williams

One of the oldest English dessert pears, it was discovered in the late 18th century and quickly became popular. In England and Europe it is known as Williams or sometimes Williams Bon Chretien, after the nurseryman who first propagated it, whereas in North America it is usually known as Bartlett.

If you buy tinned pears, they are very likely to be this variety. Don't let this put you off though - Williams is a good early-season pear variety for the gardener too, with a very good flavour and fairly easy to grow.

Growing and Training

Make sure you pick the crop just before it becomes ripe - which will be late August or early September in the UK.

Williams is generally easy to grow but can be susceptible to scab in wetter areas.

Cropping is usually reliable even in less than ideal conditions, and Williams is a good choice for pear enthusiasts in the north of the UK.

History

UK, 18th century. This pear is known both as Williams and Bartlett.

The fascinating origins of this pear were recorded by the Victorian fruit enthusiast Robert Hogg. He credited its discovery to either a Mr Wheeler or a Mr Stair, both schoolmasters in the town of Aldermaston, Berkshire, England some time before 1770. It was subsequently propagated by a nurseryman, Mr Williams of Turnham Green - who named it the Williams pear (perhaps to cut through the confusion surrounding its origins).

In 1799 trees were sent to the United States - a good demonstration of the close ties that already existed between England and the newly-independent United States. The imported Williams pear trees were planted in an orchard near Boston and came to the attention of a local nurseryman, Mr Bartlett, who played an important role in popularising the variety in the USA. It appears the original variety name was uncertain by this stage, so Bartlett (nicely repeating the decision of his English counterpart) decided to give it his own name.

In this way the new variety became known as Bartlett in North America and Williams in the UK and Europe.

Hogg suggests that the Bartlett pear was well suited to the climate of its new home, and was soon regarded as "the finest pear of its season". It became a major commercial variety in the USA.

Williams characteristics

• Gardening skillAverage
• Fruit persistenceNormal ripening
• Self-fertile?Partially self-fertile
• Pollinating othersAverage
• Pick seasonEarly
• Picking periodearly September
• Keeping1 week
• Food usesEating fresh
• Country of originUnited Kingdom
• Period of origin1750 - 1799
• Fruit colourGreen - light

You might also like these varieties

• 
  Beth
  An easy and reliable early-season pear, with a very good melting flavour.
• 
  Concorde
  A marriage of Conference and Comice - Concorde is easy to grow, heavy crops, excellent flavour.
• 
  Conference
  Conference is a popular and reliable English pear, well-suited to the UK climate.
• 
  Williams
  Williams is a classic English pear, also known as Bartlett, with good flavour and quite easy to grow.

More about pear trees

The modern dessert pear with its refined flavours and melting flesh evolved in the 19th century, and with some exceptions almost all the pears we know today were developed at that time.

Unlike apples, which often helpfully come away in the hand when they are ripe, if you let pears ripen on the tree you will find they are overripe inside. Instead pears need to be harvested before they are ripe - then ripened in a fruit bowl. This just takes practice, and after a few seasons you will soon know the tell-tale little signs that your pears are ready for picking.