Raised by James Grieve in Edinburgh, Scotland and introduced by his employers, Dickson's nurserymen, James Grieve was first recorded in 1893. It received the Award of Merit in 1897 and First Class Certificate in 1906 from the RHS and its AGM in 1993. The strange thing about such a well known apple is that no one is sure of its parentage. James Grieve has however been used extensively in breeding programmes and has spawned masses of other apples like Katy, Lord Lambourne, Greensleeves and Elton Beauty, conferring on them its acidity and capacity to produce lots of juice.