Archibald Findlay, 1841-1921, Potato Breeder
Archibald Findlay was a prolific breeder of potatoes, with many of his varieties being marketed between 1891 amd 1921. He was a Scot but later moved to potato growing country in Lincolnshire. He wrote for journals and held exhibitions of his seedlings. His most famous varieties are Majestic, Up-to-Date and British Queen.
UP TO DATE
This was England's leading variety in the early 1900s, taking over from Champion and Magnum Bonum. It was a seedling from Paterson's 'Victoria'.
Pictures (click on small images for detail):
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BRITISH QUEEN
This is a superb floury potato still grown a good deal in Ireland where it is known as 'Queens'. Also a seedling of 'Victoria'.
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Tubers
MAJESTIC
This was Findlay's most successful potato and was a seedling of British Queen. It was a leading variety for sixty years, and the number one English potato from the mid twenties until about 1960. The main reason for its popularity was its reliability. It produced heavy yields of large rough skinned tubers year after year. The flavour was average to good. Stored until after Christmas the spuds would become more floury. It was displaced by Pentland Crown and Maris Piper.
Pictures (click on small images for detail):
Flowers
Tubers
Seed of Majestic is still available to amateurs but it is no longer grown commercially.
Other Findlay varieties include Royal Kidney (1899), Eightyfold (1894), Catriona (1920) and Di Vernon.
ND / Diversity website
