Mummy White
(Dwarf Branching Marrow, Grimstone’s Egyptian Pea, Mummy Pea, Mummy White)
(Crowning Pea) Circa 1844. Sold circa 1845 by seedsman William Grimstone as ‘Grimstone’s Egyptian Pea’ and ‘Mummy Pea’.
Days to Maturity:
History
The longheld myth of the mid-1800s is that Mummy White was discovered in a 2844 year old hermetically sealed vase, found in an Egyptian Mummy’s sarcophagus. According to this legend, it was escavated in the 1800s from a mummy pit by Egyptologist Sir Gardiner Wilkinson (1797-1875). Sir Wilkinson later presented the artifact to the British Museum.
In 1849 the London German Gazette reported the late Duke of Sussex’s librarian, Mr. Thomas J. Pettigrew, Esq., Surgeon, of Saville-row attempted to open the vase to “ascertain its contents“. He broke the artifact, which had thus revealed the contents to be ancient “mummy” wheat, vetch, and “rosin yellow” peas.
“The interior contained a mass of vegetable dust, with a few grains of wheat and vetches; he was, however, amply indemnified for the destruction of the vase by discovering in this dust a certain number of peas, entirely shrivelled.” (London German Gazette, 1849)
Thomas Pettigrew shared these seeds with learned friends, however all attempts to germinate the peas proved unsuccessful. Pettigrew kept three grains as an antiquity. In 1844 he gifted the peas to William Grimstone, Esq. operator of Herberary Highgate garden and manufacturer of Grimstone’s Eye Snuff. In June 4, 1844, William Grimstone replicated the arid conditions of Egypt, and a single pea sprouted.
Suspicion arose surrounding the origin story, which was treated with varying degrees of belief. In the late 1800s to early 1900s, ‘Egyptomania’ (the Victorian era fascination with Egypt), was common. 1 As a result of the late 1800-1900 popularity of Egyptian themed products, various seedsman claimed to have new varieties “from mummy tombs”.
1849 the Horticulture Society of London conducted a trial. The results showed that Grimstone’s Egyptian was identical to the common Branching Marrow Pea. Vilmorin and co’s Plantes Portagers similarly describes it as identical to a crowning or cluster pea. Grimstone’s advertising was soon considered a high Victorian era swindle.
All considered, it is likely Mummy White’s Egyptian origin is fable. This likelihood is heightened by the Victorian period of Egypt fascination. However one thing remains and is certain – it continues to be a truly remarkable pea.
Crowning Peas
Crowning peas display the trait of having a main stalk, which branches near the top of its growth. Unlike other P. sativum, they will only flower and form pods at top of the plant.
In the 1800s the crowning pea was classified seperately as P. umbellatum due to difference in growth habit from other members of P. sativum. It is later reclassified as P. sativum var. umbellatum. The crown pea is also known by the names Tuft pea, English Crowning pea, and Rose or Crown pea.
In the 1800s there is mention of a second crowning type ‘Mummy Pea’ with pink/purple flowers and grey seeds.
William Grimstone
William Grimstone Esq., owned and operated the Herbary at Highgate garden. In the 1840s he was known for compounding Grimstone’s Eye Snuff – a tabacco-free herbal snuff which claimed to cure eye ailments.
Resources: Original articles written in the mid 1800s to early 1900s on the Mummy Pea
(To Read Articles – Right click image and select ‘open image in new tab’)
As written by the Journal of the Horticultural Society of London, vol IV, 1849,
“With every advantage of comparison thus afforded by the proximity of the plants, no difference could be observed between Grimstone’s Egyptian Pea and the Dwarf Branching Marrow. The growth of the plants, their foliage, flowers, pods, and seeds exhibited precisely the same characteristics.” (Journal of the Horticultural Society of London, vol IV, 1849)
 |  Pg 52, Simpkin, Marshall, and Co., Stationers’ Hall Court, The Magazine of Science, and Artists’, Architects, and Builders Journal |
 Pg 53, Simpkin, Marshall, and Co., Stationers’ Hall Court, The Magazine of Science, and Artists’, Architects, and Builders Journal |   Pg 324, The Cottager’s Monthly Visitor, November, 1844 |
 Pg 399, The New Parley Library, Vol. 1, 1844 |  Pg 115, The Gardeners’ Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1849 |
This story is further elaborated in an 1873 edition of The Gardeners’ Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette. Mummy White was cultivated around 1843-1844 in gardens in Aberdeenshire,
 Pg 44, The Gardeners’ Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1873 |  Pg 44, The Gardeners’ Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1873 |
 Pg 106, The Cultivator, 1862 |
In 1898 the Gardeners’ Chronicle reported the discovery of Peter Laws and Sons publication ‘The Agriculturists’ Manual’ (1836). It cites the pre-1844 cultivation of white crown peas. This text pre-dates the 1844 origin story.
 Pg 54, The Gardeners’ Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1898 |  Pg 54, The Gardeners’ Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1898 |