Newsletter  (Feb 2018)  Page(s) 2-3.  
 
[From "Blushing Lucy, Emily Gray, and The Doctor", by Darrell g.h. Schramm, pp. 2-5]
‘Blushing Lucy’ proves itself an astonishingly vigorous plant, known to climb into trees. When first grown at its trial grounds in Haywards Heath, England, in 1937, it was thought to be a pillar rose or one to climb over an archway. But today we know that, unless it were a series of elongated archways along a rose allée, the rambler would smother the typical archway over a porch or gateway to a garden.... A late flowering plant, its old wood should be cut out aggressively as soon as all blooms are spent. And if the soil is not permitted to dry out around its roots, it will resist mildew and blackspot. Lucy herself was the wife of the breeder, Dr. Alfred Henry Williams (more on him later). He named it for his Victorian spouse who was known invariably to blush during conversations. She died in 1940, a year after her husband. Though the rose seems to have been bred much earlier, Williams submitted the plant for the 1937-38 trials, and it was introduced in England’s Rose Annual 1938. The old and famous Cant Nursery was to have marketed the rose in 1939, but the onslaught of WWII forestalled that. Dr. Williams died in 1939; subsequently, the rose appeared to be lost. But in 1946 or so, one of his sons, Harvey Williams, visited Frank Cant at the Cant Nursery. To the thrill of both men, they located one solitary plant of ‘Blushing Lucy’ at the rear of a building. Cant gave him the rose. Today that rose can be purchased from a very few select nurseries in England, New Zealand, Japan, and the United States.

Magazine  (2010)  Page(s) 40. Vol 32, No. 1.  Includes photo(s).
 
Rosemary Heather, NZ, The History of 'Blushing Lucy'. This story begins with Herbert William Williams, who is of interest to Heritage Rose members as he had roses named after his sister 'Emily Gray', and his two sisters-in-law Blushing Lucy and 'Mrs. John Laing'. Regarding the second-named rose,a letter from a Mr. Baines (date unknown) explains: "I well remember 'Blushing Lucy' at Haywards Heath, being an old favourite of mine. I kept it for several years. Dr. Williams named this after his wife - she always would blush during conversation.....
Description of the roses: 'Blushing Lucy' (rambler rose) - from a family member's notes. Raised by Dr. A. H. Williams, a one time President of the National Rose Society. Introduced in 1938 by Frank Cant. Would have become very popular but was a fatality of World War II (1938 Rose Annual). Named after Dr. William's wife Lucy, colour pale pink with white eye, shape of bloom - semi-double. Carried in immense clusters freely produced. Fragrant. Very vigorous grower. Flowers mid to late season, retaining its blooms over a long period.
The Story of the rose 'Blushing Lucy' as told by J. L. H. Williams. This rose was raised by my father Dr. A. H. Williams, in his garden at Maple House, Roffey, near Horsham. He was a life long rose enthusiast and his great hobby was hybridising and raising new seedlings....the most well known of his new roses is 'Emily Gray'....raised in his garden at the 'Moat' Harrow-on-the-Hill. In 1918 he gave up his practice in Harrow and took on a job with War Pensions organisation, in charge of that organisation in Lancashire and Cheshire. In 1923 he transferred to the War Pensions Clinic in Brighton and the family went to live at Maple House in Roffey where he continued his hobby of raising new roses.... I was at home on six months leave in 1937 and my father talked a lot to me about his latest rose which he had named Lucy after my mother, and which he was sure was a winner. "Blushing Lucy' was I believe registered and shown in 1938 and was to have been marketed by Frank Cant of Colchester in 1939. Of course the War stopped that. My father died in Roffey just before the outbreak of war in 1939 and my mother died four months later..... All traces of my father's roses had been lost, but my brother went to see Frank Cant and asked him if by chance he had any left in his nursery. After a search they found one plant at the back of the nursery which he - very generously - gave to my brother.

Book  (2003)  Page(s) 181, 182.  Includes photo(s).
 
‘Lucy’, syn ‘Blushing Lucy’ [Williams, 1936].

Book  (2000)  Page(s) 124.  
 
‘Blushing Lucy’ = Grimpant à grande fleur…. cultivé seulement au Royaume-Uni et en Nouvelle-Zélande… grands bouquets de fleurs semi-doubles d’un rose timide éclairé de blanc à la base des pétales, délicatement odorantes. La première floraison, généreuse mais tardive, est suivie tout l’été de rappels légers. Tout laisse suggérer une ascendance de Rosa wichuraiana, tant le feuillage vernissé que la vigueur de ce sarmenteux entreprenant, légèrement plus élevé que la moyenne… préfère, de loin, le grand soleil. Williams UK 1938.

Book  (1996)  Page(s) 40.  
 
'Blushing Lucy' Origin A. H. Williams, UK 1938. A very fragrant enchanting rambler, semi-double pink flowers with a paler eye offset by glossy foliage. A Vigorous and later bloomer which the breeder named after his wife Lucy. A. H. Williams was the grandson of Bishop William Williams, the first Bishop of Waiapu. 'Blushing Lucy' was propagated by Ken Nobbs for the historical connections and for the beauty of the rose. My plant was grown and given to me by Anne Grant of Wellington. Size 1.8m x 2.5m

Book  (Nov 1994)  Page(s) 226.  
 
Blushing Lucy 'Dorothy Perkins' without the mildew but with recurrence of its fragrant flowers

Book  (Apr 1993)  Page(s) 58.  
 
Large-flowered Climber, light pink, 1938, Williams, A.H. Flowers pale pink, white eye, semi-double, large cluster; very fragrant; foliage glossy; vigorous growth; profuse, late bloom

Book  (1947)  Page(s) 34.  
 
'Blushing Lucy' (Wich ramb.). Dr. A. H. Williams, 1938. Pale pink. Blooms double. Petals 20. Vigorous. Arch, pillar, fragrant. a late flowering variety. Mid-July, that retains its large trusses of bloom over a long period. Second Class Trial ground Certificate. Prune 37 (Group 2) or 39.

Book  (1946)  Page(s) 23.  
 
N. P. Harvey. On Pink Roses. 'Blushing Lucy' is a wichuraiana rambler introduced in 1938 which has always been a beautiful sight at the Trial ground in August. Perhaps the war is responsible for its absence from the catalogues, but I was fortunate enough to procure it in time. The blooms are a delightful shade of pale pink with no magenta and they come in immense trusses, much heavier than any other rambler I know. These trusses are retained on the plant over a long period and last equally well when cut. It is about the last rambler to bloom, has a delightful scent, is a strong grower without being rampant and strikes easily from cuttings.

Book  (1945)  Page(s) 44.  
 
N. P. Harvey. Some Good Neglected Roses. If you want a really new pink climber try 'Blushing Lucy'. It is pale pink, flowering in tremendously heavy trusses, consequently it is heavier than the 'Dorothy Perkins' Rose, and has a good perfume. Blooming rather later than most climbers, the trusses of bloom last longer on the plant, and I have found it strikes easily from cuttings.