C. Cultivated Apple (Peasgood's Nonsuch) (Malus domestica)

The wild ancestor of our cultivated apple is Malus sieversii from central Asia, particularly the western slopes of the Tian Shan mountains. When this variety reached Europe, via the Middle East, where apple cultivation occurred 5000 years ago, it was crossed with the wild crab apple, Malus sylvestris, to give the first of many apple varieties.

This variety is a dessert and cooking variety developed in 1858 as one of five pips planted in a pot by the father of Emma Mamby in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Emma married John F. Peasgood and moved to nearby Stamford, taking with her the one surviving seedling apple. Seven years later, the tree flowered and produced fruit. A basket of these were taken to the Agricultural Show at Burghley Park where they won first prize on September 6th 1872, classed as "kitchen apples". A selection of these apples was sent to the fruit panel of the Royal Horticultural Society in London, where on 18th September of that year they were awarded a first prize, and subsequently named "Peasgood's Nonsuch". That name is still in use today.

Both John and Emma Peasgood are buried in Heene Cemetery. You can read their detailed biographies here: Emma Peasgood, John Peasgood.

This Peasgood's Nonsuch tree was planted on October 11th 2022 several steps away from Emma and John's grave (in row 13, plot 3 in the SES area of the Cemetery).

A detailed history of the Peasgood's Nonsuch apple tree is available on the FruitID website. This includes some lovely photographs of the fruit, as well as copies of historic newspaper cuttings and award citations. The Royal Horticultural Society lists this fruit tree on their website tagged as an 'Award of Garden Merit' plant and a 'Plants for Pollinators' plant.