The apple gene

Centuries later, the name of Loammi Baldwin still echoes in pomological circles. ¶ 

He did not discover the apple that bears his name, but cultivated and popularized it. The Baldwin apple is a treat, crisp and rich, once the most popular variety in New England. ¶ 

Baldwin's great grandfather on his mother's side was Joseph Richardson, a second-generation immigrant who lived in Woburn, Massachusetts, 1643–1718.

But Richardson had another descendant of even greater renown in the history and mythology of apples.

One of Richardson's great great great grandchildren, born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, in 1774, was John Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed.

In genealogical terms, Baldwin and Chapman were second cousins twice removed.

Richardson–Green descendants by Susan Williams. Republished with kind permission of the Middlesex Canal Association.

Was it something in the soil of Massachusetts, or in the genetic heritage of Richardson or his wife, Hannah Green, that grew two such near contemporaries?

For her genealogical detective work, I grateful to Susan Williams. I make one minor change suggested by an historical record.

Chapman

Baldwin

Note that the early photograph often said to be of Chapman has never been conclusively verified. For that matter, Baldwin's portrait may be more flattering than realistic.

	John Chapman	Loammi Baldwin
Dates	1774–1845	1744–1807
Highlights	Nurseryman and icon	Minuteman and canal engineer
Buried	Fort Wayne	Woburn
Romanticized depiction
Apple

Sources

Gerber, Bill, and Susan Williams. 2012. "The Middlesex Canal—It Was a Family Thing" Towpath Topics 50:3, March 2012. Billerica, MA: Middlesex Canal Association.

"Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-9979-HYZ6?view=index : Nov 18, 2024), image 182 of 278; Woburn (Massachusetts). Town Clerk.

I composed the tree graphic from images in the public domain, including the (presumed) Chapman photograph and the Baldwin portrait.