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Orchards East Forum members were deeply saddened to learn that famous pomologist, Professor Barrie Juniper, died on 29th January 2023.. He passed away peacefully with his daughter Sarah at his side. The obituary tribute below was written by Claire Conway-Crapp, Chairman of the Mid Shires Orchard Group. Barrie was their Honorary President since 2007.
Obituary
Alongside being our Honorary President, in his professional life, Professor Barrie Juniper was Emeritus Reader in Plant Sciences at the University of Oxford and Fellow Emeritus of St Catherine's College at the same.
In these roles, he undertook much research into apples and fruit-related subjects and was the author of many associated papers and scholarly works.
Intrigued by the differing opinions on the source of our modern day domestic apples, Barrie embarked on a project to discover and record their origin and geographical spread over time, to become the fruits we know and love today.
Using DNA analysis of apple varieties from across the world, Barrie's work determined that all these domestic apples shared the same DNA and that this was not the same as the various wild 'crab' apple species known around the world. Until that point, it had been assumed by many that the domestic apple had been developed from these. This was found not to be the case, but there was a DNA match with the fruits of the wild apple forests of the Tien Shan or ‘Heavenly Mountains’ of central Asia.
This research took Barrie to Almaty, Kazakhstan and therein lies the 'core' of the apple story, the wild fruits of the local apple forests. He explored the hypothesis that the apples we grow today originated there and postulated that they were brought into popular use alongside the domestication of horses. His view was that the two species were associated closely thereafter, with both spreading together geographically, as the people who domesticated them moved across the continents and ultimately, around the world.
With co-author David Mabberley, Barrie wrote a wonderful book, called 'The Story of the Apple', which documented his research, travels and conclusions. It has been translated into many languages and remains a key work on the history of one of our best loved orchard fruits.
As well as his research and writing of books, Barrie was elected many years ago to become a Curator of the University's parks. The role encompassed looking after gardens as well as parks and other green spaces owned by the University. One of these was the walled garden at Wytham Abbey. As part of his research into the origins of the apple, Barrie established a specimen orchard there, to provide the collection of trees for his DNA analysis.
He grew over 90 trees there and looked after them in person, until very recently. On rare occasions, he allowed interested groups to visit. The Mid Shires Orchard Group had the privilege of his Wytham Orchard being the venue for our 2018 Summer Field Trip. This saw our members and guests from the RHS Fruit Group have a guided tour of the orchard, its trees and wider historic garden feature, led by Barrie himself. It was a wonderful day and we remain grateful for his generosity in hosting us.
By then, Barrie was in his mid-80s, but his passion for all things apple was infectious and he wasn’t going to let his advancing years slow him down. Striding around his orchard like man a few decades younger, it was hard to keep up with him as he scooted from tree to tree, pointing out features of interest and offering around samples of fruit.
The Covid-19 years did bring a slowdown of physical activity, but Barrie still joined us regularly for our monthly Zoom calls. We had set up these during the lockdown period, as a means for MSOG members to keep in touch with each other.
During one of his last calls, I recall the twinkle in his eye and his delighted voice as he told us about his new book, which was about "the origin and history and development of grafting", as a means to propagate fruit and other trees. He was looking forward to publishing it and spreading the word.
By 2022, Barrie’s health had started to decline. With Sarah's support, he had remained in his delightful Oxford cottage for as long as possible, but the time came when it became prudent to move closer to family. He moved to a retirement home in Cwmbran, where Sarah could keep an eye on him!
This was to be his final home. Barrie passed away on January 29th 2023, with Sarah by his side.
Although this is a sad time, as we have lost a lovely, fascinating man, it is also a time for celebration, as we have been able to have the pleasure of his company and the wisdom of his teachings, for so many years.
While as yet his last great work is unpublished, the manuscript and notes are safe. Perhaps one day, we will be able to enjoy reading it and learn once again, from this enthusiastic, ebullient, generous and passionate scholar of all things apple.
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