Apostrophe Protection Society
Adams’ Pearmain, not Adam’s Pearmain, because it was created by John Adams, not a geezer called Adam!
Perhaps this is an old person’s lament, but it’s pertinent as it has just been announced … the Apostrophe Protection Society is being disbanded. It was set up 18 years ago by John Richards but his perception of the prevalence of ignorance and laziness in the modern world, combined with his age - he is now 96 - has led him to conclude that the time has come to close the Society. Understandable … and we thank him for his service.
No sooner was this news announced that demand to access the Society’s website increased 600-fold and exceeded their server’s bandwidth. People do care … for good reason. But why should this be relevant to a cider-maker?
Alphabetically, the first apple variety in our favourite nursery’s catalogue is Adams’ Pearmain. At least, it should be. Sadly, it’s written as Adam’s Pearmain, which suggests that the variety was discovered or propagated by a man named Adam. Which is utter nonsense, of course; it was created by John Adams in Norfolk in 1827. No one called Adam had anything to do with it. Would you like your own inventions to be carelessly and callously discarded by future generations? Probably not. It matters.
Ashmead’s Kernel, discovered in the garden of a Dr. Ashmead, in Gloucester in the early 18th century.
One of our own favourite apples also bears an apostrophe: Ashmead’s Kernel. As does one of the most famous apples there is: Cox’s Orange Pippin. Ellison’s Orange. Kidd’s Orange Red. Laxton’s Superb, Laxton’s Fortune. Tydeman’s Early Worcester. It may be more obvious with these names where the apostrophe goes, but it still needs be there and be there in the right place. Only one Mr. Ellison was responsible for his Orange apple, it was not a group endeavour by a tribe of Ellisons. It was, in fact, a Reverend Ellison and he produced his apple in Lincolnshire in 1904 or 1905, and one parent of his apple was Cox’s Orange Pippin. This, in turn, was created by Richard Cox, a retired brewer and horticulturalist, in Colnbrook, Buckinghamshire, in the 1830s. Messrs. Adams, Cox, Ellison, Laxton, Tydeman and many others all deserve their effort and achievement to be recognised with a possessive apostrophe - it WAS their achievement, after all.
We make our cider in the West Country of England, where cider made with all these aforementioned eating apples sometimes seems to be frowned upon; cider apples are what’s needed, apparently. One of the most famous cider apples is Harry Masters’ Jersey, created by a Somerset nurseryman in the late 1880s, possibly with Yarlington Mill in its parentage. Please note the man’s name: Harry Masters. And yet almost every catalogue or website that sells his apple has decided that his name was Harry Master and sells his apple as Harry Master’s Jersey. Why? Sadly, John Richards and the Apostrophe Protection Society are right…we couldn't be bothered or don't know better or don't care.
So, here’s an appeal. Can every cider-maker please make sure that they name the apples they use in their cider correctly? And ask that the nursery from where they buy their apple trees does the same? In theory and strictly speaking (although, of course, nothing would ever come of it), to get it wrong is to mis-represent the apples from which the cider is made, is therefore misleading the public and is therefore a breach of labelling regulations. There is no such thing as Harry Master’s Jersey, so don’t refer to it on your cider! It's Harry Masters' Jersey.
If you’ve read this far, thank you!
A bit more detail, just in case you’re interested … or if you want to check we know what we’re talking about (although other people, not least the Apostrophe Protection Society, will be able to explain better and in more detail).
Correct: Ellison’s Orange; created by the Rev’d Ellison. Incorrect: Ellisons Orange; Ellisons isn’t an adjective, such as “big” or “round”, so there does need to be an apostrophe to denote that the Orange apple belongs to an Ellison. Incorrect: Ellisons’ Orange; this suggests that it was created by a group of Ellisons.
Correct: Harry Masters’ Jersey; a jersey apple created by Mr Harry Masters. Incorrect: Harry Master’s Jersey; his surname name wasn’t “Master”, it was “Masters”. Incorrect: Harry Masters Jersey; there does need to be an apostrophe to demonstrate that the apple was the responsibility of or belonged to or is possessed by Harry Masters.
Correct (we think): Laxton's Superb; a superb apple created by a company called Laxton Brothers (Bedfordshire, early 20th century). If the apple was named after the two brothers, or the group of family members who inherited the business after they died, rather than the company, then it would be Laxtons' Superb. They created other lovely varieties, too; Laxton's Fortune and Laxton's Epicure.