Thomas Laxton

Thomas Laxton (1830 – 6 August 1893) was a plant breeder and a correspondent of Charles Darwin, best known for his hybridisation of peas.

[1] He practised as a solicitor in Stamford before his interest in horticulture led him to become an authority on plant hybridisation.

Initially he worked from St Mary's Hill, Stamford and corresponded with Charles Darwin from this address.

[citation needed] Early correspondence with Darwin referred to Laxton's work on hybridising peas.

[4] The brothers recognised their father's horticultural contribution by introducing the pea 'Thomas Laxton' in his honour in 1898.

Thomas Laxton (undated photo)
Cross section of Allington Pippin , National Fruit Collection (acc. 2000-016); raised by Thomas Laxton before 1884. It received a First Class Certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1894 under its original name, 'Brown's South Lincoln Beauty'