Melon History

[jpkelly]

When was the m elon introduced to this country and which were the earliest varities?

[johnnybriggs]

I know the Romans ate melons, but whether they could have transported them to Britain, I don't know. However there were vinyards in Lincolnshire so why not melon farmers? (titter ye not).

The Romans also ate melon seeds as a snack so it may be they could have transported them as dried seeds.

I also know Columbus introduced melon to the New World from Spain (the Arabs had brought them from the middle east) and that at about the same time melons were being cultivated in France -so it is quite likely that some melon was eaten in early modern Britain.

In my opinion the massive water melon type fruits would not have been available and I think it would have been the very small varieties if any.