PARENTAGE OF WILLIAMS BON CHRETIEN

The parents of Williams Bon Chretien are not known. This pear variety is often called Williams and in the USA it is known as the Bartlett pear. There are countless sports of this variety most of which affect only the outward appearance and not the taste or texture. It dates back to 1765 when it was first discovered in Aldermaston, Berkshire. Commercially it was sold by Richard Williams of Turnham Green near Chiswick in London who formally named it Williams in 1814.

Somehow the Italians managed to create a story that the variety originated from Italy and wove a very unlikely tale around it. It involved a “good Christian” and a pope and then somewhere in the murky annals of time the words Bon Chretien (French for good Christian) was appended to the real name of Williams. Hence it became known as Williams Bon Chretien. Rest assured, it is neither Italian nor French, it most assuredly is one of the oldest English pear varieties currently grown.

The story doesn’t end there though. Wouldn’t you just guess that the Americans had to get involved and mistaken identity was key to their involvement! Williams pear trees were taken from England to, and planted in, an orchard in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The owner of the orchard then sold it to a Mr Enoch Bartlett in 1817. Mr Bartlett identified the delicious looking pears and without sufficient investigation decided to call them Bartlett pears.

In 1823, pear enthusiasts noticed that Bartlett pears were in fact exactly the same as Williams pears and the game was up, Bartlett pears ARE Williams pears. Somehow they have managed to get away with keeping the name, Bartlett, to this day.

APPEARANCE, TASTE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF WILLIAMS BON CHRETIEN

This is a rather dumpy looking pear which only slightly narrows around the neck. Larger than many pears, the skin is initially green with a few small brown speckles. When it ripens the skin turns a golden colour. The flesh is white.

Williams Bon Chretien pear (red skinned)

The taste of Williams Bon Chretien pears is, overall, sweet but there is a background hint of acidity. There is a slight musk element in the aroma. The flesh is juicy and soft when ripe. One benefit of Williams pears is that they cook very well. The majority of the world production of tinned pears are of the Williams variety.

Fruit is produced mid season (see below for average expected dates) and Williams Bon Chretien should be harvested when the pears are slightly under-ripe. See here  for detailed information on when to harvest pears. This variety is no different from others, after harvest it should be stored in cool conditions after harvest and bought inside the house for a couple of days prior to eating.

POLLINATION PARTNERS FOR WILLIAMS BON CHRETIEN PEARS

Williams Bon Chretien (pollination group 3) is partially self-fertile but not to the same degree as Conference for instance To get the best crop from this pear tree you need one of the following other varieties nearby:

• Brandy (pollination group 4)
• Clapp’s Favourite (pollination group 3)
• Concorde (pollination group 3 to 4)
• Conference (pollination group 3)
• Doyenne du Comice (pollination group 4)
• Humbug (pollination group 3)
• Invincible (pollination group 2)
• Moonglow (pollination group 3)
• Sensation (pollination group 3)
• Winter Nelis (pollination group 3)

HOW TO PRUNE WILLIAMS BON CHRETIEN PEAR TREE

Most of the normal rules for pruning a pear tree apply to Williams Bon Chretien. One important point to note with this variety is that the fruits tend to turn from under-ripe to over-ripe very quickly. At the right time of year (see below) look for the very first signs of the fruits turning from green to yellow, that’s the time to harvest for storage or keeping indoors for a couple of days until fully ripe. As well as normal trees they also grow well as espaliers.

The final height and spread of a mature (seven year old) Williams Bon Chretien pear tree will depend on the rootstock used, soil and growing conditions. Averages are as follows:

1. Quince C rootstock (semi-dwarfing) 2.5m to 3m (8ft to 10ft)
2. Quince A rootstock (semi-dwarfing) 3m to 4m (10ft to 13ft)
3. Pyrus c. rootstock (natural size) 6m to 8m (20ft to 27ft)

More information about growing pear trees including planting, feeding, watering, mulching, harvesting and pruning can be found on our page here.

The primary uses for Williams Bon Chretien pears is for eating and cooking.

PEST AND DISEASES OF WILLIAMS PEAR TREES

Williams have a poor record for pest and disease resistance with scab and fireblight being particular problem areas in the UK.

Scab not only affects the leaves of pear trees it also affects the fruit. As well as yellow and dark green spots on the underside and top of leaves you may also see groups of the spores growing as small brown velvety mounds on the underside of leaves. Go to our
dedicated scab page for treatment and prevention methods.

Leaf affected by Scab

Williams pear trees are also susceptible to fireblight. This is a bacterial infection which thrives in warmer parts of the UK and it is unlikely to be a problem in the Midlands and north.

Picture of Fireblight from Stark Bros

The symptoms of fireblight are hard to miss even at the initial stages of infection. First the blossoms are infected (not always the case with pear trees) then new shoots, fruit and finally the main branches can be affected. The key symptoms are:

• Blossoms quickly die off turning a dark brown colour
• New shoots then become infected a week or so later and they too wither and blacken although they tend to remain on the tree. Some shoots may randomly be completely unaffected
• If the weather is warm and wet the affected shoots begin to weep a sticky goo which is laden with bacteria
• Developing fruits then wither and die
• This year’s wood growth is then infected and this turns black and begins to die
• If the tree is not treated the infection then affects wood from previous years’ growth and at this stage the tree will almost certainly die.

With pear trees in particular, the infection of blossom stage can sometimes not occur, the first signs being noticed on new shoots. This is because pear blossom tends to appear a week or two earlier than on apple trees when the conditions are not yet warm enough for the bacteria to flourish.

For more information on treating fireblight, read our page dedicated to this bacterial infection.

MORE PAGES ABOUT GROWING PEAR TREES:

HOW TO GROW PEAR TREES

PEAR TREE BUYING PRICE COMPARISON

TOP TEN PEAR TREE VARIETIES IN THE UK

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR PEAR TREE

PEAR PEST AND DISEASE

HOW TO PRUNE YOUR PEAR TREE