One of the oldest English dessert pears, it was discovered in the late 18th century and quickly became popular. In England and Europe it is known as Williams or sometimes Williams Bon Chretien, after the nurseryman who first propagated it.
If you buy tinned pears, they are very likely to be this variety. Don't let this put you off though - Williams is a good early-season pear variety for the gardener too, with a very good flavour and fairly easy to grow.
**All prices include delivery (except certain fan-trained or espalier-trained trees). We offer a discount on orders of multiple bare-root trees for delivery at the same time - this will be shown at the checkout.
Fan-trained and Espalier trees: Prices of these trees do NOT include delivery as these require special delivery arrangements - click here for details.
Delivery period: Pot-grown trees can be delivered from September onwards. Bare-root trees can be delivered from mid-November onwards. Within those periods you can specify your preferred month of delivery during the checkout process. It is best to order as soon as you can to ensure items are reserved for you.
*Mature heights: Height shown is the approximate height of the tree when mature (after 5-10 years), not the height when supplied. See photos of trees as supplied. Actual mature heights may vary considerably dependent on your local conditions and training and pruning regime.
Stock availability: Items showing as 'sold out' will probably be available again next season. If you would like to reserve in advance use our enquiry form - this does not commit you to anything.
Williams is self-sterile and needs to be pollinated by another tree of a different variety nearby. Since it flowers in the middle of the blossom season it can be pollinated by most other pear trees.
Our online pollination checker lists suitable pollination partners for this variety.
More advice about pollination.
Make sure you pick the crop just before it becomes ripe - which will be late August or early September in the UK.
Williams is generally easy to grow but can be susceptible to scab in wetter areas.
Cropping is usually reliable even in less than ideal conditions, and Williams is a good choice for pear enthusiasts in the north of the UK.
Planting instructions.
Pruning instructions.
UK, 18th century. The origins of this pear were recorded by the Victorian fruit enthusiast Robert Hogg. He credited its discovery to a schoolmaster in the town of Aldermaston, Berkshire, England some time before 1770. Its qualities were quickly recognised and it was propagated by a nurseryman, Mr Williams of Turnham Green, and soon become known as the Williams Pear. In 1799 examples were sent to the United States - a good demonstration of the close ties that existed between England and the newly-independent United States. The imported Williams pear trees were planted near Boston and came to the attention of a local nurseryman called Mr Bartlett, who subsequently popularised the new variety - having decided to give it his own name. Hogg suggests that the Bartlett pear was well suited to the climate of its new home, and was soon regarded as "the finest pear of its season".
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