Timeline

The timeline shows a history of the Wareham Russet and the Memorial Orchard. It shows that the Wareham Russet pre-dated the Dutch variety Lemoen and therefore they can not be the same variety. The DNA testing indicates the probable ancestry of the Lemoen showing indicating that it is not synonymous with the Wareham Russet.

YearMore…
1831-1851George Moss’s account of the origin of the Wareham Russet in his Great Grandfather Forster’s garden.1813-1851 Village of Moonbeams
1840 Tithe Map and tithe apportionments of Orchards in Weaverhamorchards-in-weaverham
1873In 1873 Van den Ham, Norary of Lunteren, founded the Luntersche Tuinbouw-Vereeniging 1873 Notaris Johan van den Ham of Lunteren
1877Entry in Hogg for Wareham Russet1877 Hogg
1883Mr. SELWOOD, Gardener to The DUKE Of WESTMINSTER, exhibited the Wareham Russet at the National Apple Congress, held in the Royal Horticultural Gardens, Chiswick1883 British Apples p77 and p78
1883Weaverham Cricket Club, nick named the Russets, was founded.1883 Weaverham Cricket Club – “The Russets”
1885Earliest date attributed to Lemoen 1885 Lemoenappel
1886Describes the Wareham Russet which is in included in the catalogue of F. & A. Dickson & Son of Chester, James Dickson & Son, also of Chester. Edward Ward, Hevell Gardens, Bromsgrove. Also some information about Dicksons Nurseries.1886 Gardeners Chronicle
1887The North Wales and Border Counties Pomological Society held its third annual exhibition of fruits,1887 Wrexham Advertiser
1888Entry in the RHS Journal for the Wareham Russet in the APPLE AND PEAR CONFERENCE, 1888.1888 Journal of the RHS
1898Compares the 1898 OS Map with the current OS map on Cheshire Tithe maps online.1898 – 1910 OS Maps
1899Lemoen exhibited and Marketed1899 Lemoen exhibited in Lunteren
1914World War 1 begins
1918World War 1 ends
1939World War 2 begins
1945World War 2 ends
…Decline of orchards in Weaverham
1970sHouses built on many former orchards.
2009Example survey of a small orchard. The orchard consists of four newly planted trees, Bee Bench, Lord Combermere, The Lemon Apple and Wareham Russet2009 Tom The Apple Man Orchard Survey
2014A proposal to create a community memorial orchard to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War 1.2014 Community Orchard Proposal
2014Samples of Wareham Russets from Tower Lane were submitted to Brogdale. – Your fruit has been examined and we believe your samples to be: Wareham Russet2014 Brogdale Identification
2015Orchard incorporated at Companies House and registered as a charity with HMRC on 25th June.https://orchard.weaverham.org.uk/orchard-incorporated-at-companies-house/
2015Scions taken from tree in Tower Lane are grafted on to rootstock. cuttings-taken/
2015-201625 year lease was negotiated with Woodland Trust for land in Thorn Woodlots-of-progress-memorial-orchard-in-the-news/
2016In February Phase 1 of the Memorial Orchard was planted. 43 trees were planted including 34 Wareham Russets lots-of-progress-memorial-orchard-in-the-news/
2016On the 2nd August Phase 2 was planted – 41 trees including 12 Wareham Russets.phase-2-is-now-complete/
2016On 12th September Service of Dedication and Remembrance was held at the orchard.memorial-orchard-dedication/
2017-2018Phase 3. 144 Cheshire heritage apple trees now growing in the orchard. Tom Adams took cuttings of Wareham Russets.chairmans-report-2017-2018/
2023Stephen Ainsleigh Rice, of the Marcher Apple Network ( MAN ), submitted a sample supplied by Tom Adams from a Wareham Russet for DNA analysis. The result showed it to be a Lemoen. Leaves from the original tree in Tower Lane were submitted for analysis.2023 – 2025 DNA analysis
2024Gallery of photos of apples from Tower Lane and the Memorial Orchard2024 Apple Gallery
2025The DNA results of the leaf samples taken in 2023 from the tree in Tower Lane showed that the apples thought to be Wareham Russets are a Dutch Variety called Lemoen.