Laxton Brothers Explained

Laxton Brothers was a business founded by Edward Augustine Lowe Laxton MBE (1869–1951) and William Hudson Lowe Laxton (1866–1923) who were notable horticulturists, pioneers of plant breeding and experts on fruit production creating several new strains of fruit such as 'Laxtonberry',^{[1] [2]} 'Laxton's Delicious' plum tree,^[3] Laxton's No.1 red currant,^[4] Laxton’s Superb apples and the award-winning Lord Lambourne apple.^{[5] [6] [7]}

History

Edward, educated at Bedford Modern School,^[8] and William were the sons of Thomas Laxton, a notable horticulturist and correspondent of Charles Darwin.^[5] They went into partnership in Bedfordshire in 1888 as ‘Laxton Brothers’, concentrating their attention on crossing the best varieties of apples, pears, plums and small fruits.^{[5] [9]} Basing their developments on the breadth and depth of their father’s work, the brothers produced most of the 27 ‘Laxton’ strains of apple, 9 strains of ‘Laxton’ pears (Beurre Bedford, Laxtons´s Early Market, Laxton´s Foremost, Laxton´s Harvester, Laxton´s Record, Laxton´s Satisfaction, Laxton´s Superb, Laxton´s Victor, Laxton´s Wonderful) 9 strains of ‘Laxton’ plums and 6 strains of ‘Laxton’ strawberries.^{[10] [6] [11] [12]} In 1937, Winston Churchill ordered raspberry plants from the Laxton Brothers to cultivate on his Chartwell estate in Kent.^[13]

William Hudson Lowe Laxton died on 14 December 1923 in Bedford at the age of 57.^[14] Edward Laxton continued to run the business with his son, Edward William Henry Laxton, until his son’s early death in 1942 when his house in Bedford took a direct hit by a German bomb.^[6]

Edward Laxton was made MBE in the 1951 New Year Honours but died shortly thereafter on 22 February 1951 and the business was discontinued in 1957.^[6] In honour of the brothers, an orchard consisting exclusively of their fruit trees was planted in Bedford in 1999.^[15]

Publication

The Strawberry Manual, by Laxton Brothers. Published by Hulatt & Richardson (1899).^[16]

External links

• Laxton Brothers at Virtual Library
• Park Wood Orchard, stocked with fruit trees developed by the Laxton Brothers

Notes and References

1. Web site: p.116-7. Fruit and Its Cultivation: The Cultivation of All Kinds of Hardy Fruits in Garden and Orchard, Including Planting, Pruning, Training and Propagation, Selections of Varieties, and Descriptions of Insect and Fungoid Pests, With Remedies for Their Eradication. forgottenbooks.com. 22 January 2015.
2. Book: Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits. 9781429014359. 22 January 2015. Hedrick. U.. December 2008. Applewood Books .
3. Web site: Plum Tree 'Laxton's Delicious' - Prunus domestica 'Laxton's Delicious'. habitataid.co.uk. 22 January 2015.
4. Book: Currants, Gooseberries, and Jostaberries: A Guide for Growers, Marketers, and Researchers in North America. Danny. Barney. Kim. Hummer. 25 May 2005. CRC Press. 9781560222972 . Google Books.
5. Book: Dictionary Of British And Irish Botantists And Horticulturalists Including .... 9780850668438. 22 January 2015. Desmond. Ray. 25 February 1994. CRC Press .
6. Web site: Laxtons: Bedford High Street History Project - Digitised Resources - The Virtual Library. Bedford Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council. culturalservices.net. 22 January 2015.
7. Web site: Laxton Brothers Materials. google.com. 22 January 2015. Brothers. Laxton.
8. School of the Black and Red by Andrew Underwood (1981)
9. Web site: Search NFC. haran. nationalfruitcollection.org.uk. 22 January 2015.
10. Laxton nursery, catalogues
11. Web site: apples and orchards. applesandorchards.org.uk. 22 January 2015.
12. Web site: apples and orchards. applesandorchards.org.uk. 22 January 2015.
13. Web site: Thomas Laxton. CooksInfo.com. 22 January 2015.
14. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
15. Web site: Park Wood Orchard - Orchard Network. orchardnetwork.org.uk. 22 January 2015.
16. Book: The Strawberry Manual. An illustrated up-to-date work on the strawberry by Laxton Brothers, Bedford.. worldcat.org. 560996043. 22 January 2015.