James Delamain was born in 1738 in
Dublin, William Delamain et de Hannah Frances O'Shaughnessey. He was from a
Huguenot family who had emigrated from France in 1625. His ancestor Nicholas Delamain accompanied
Henrietta Maria of France to the court of Charles I of England in 1625
Charles I of England. Nicholas Delamain settled in England and became the protégé of the
1st Duke of Buckingham. In 1639, the king knighted him and appointed him tax farmer in Ireland. James Delamain worked alongside his older brother Henry at the Delamain family's
Delftware factory, the Dublin Delftware Pottery. , Amsterdam. In 1759, at the age of 21, James Delamain was sent to France. He settled in Jarnac in 1759, and in 1763 founded the
Ranson and Delamain company with his stepfather Jean-Isaac Ranson. Ranson was then an export trading house whose foundation dated back to the creation of Charentaise brandy. In 1824, cousins Paul Roullet and Henri Delamain (grandson of James) founded
Maison Roullet et Delamain – Maison Ranson et Delamain having been liquidated in 1817. They expanded their exports to England and throughout Northern Europe. Henri Delamain also distinguished himself through his
entomological research. His son, Philippe Delamain (1847-1902), succeeded him as head of the company and developed an interest in the archaeology of the Charente region. In particular, he excavated a
Merovingian necropolis at
Biron, near
Pons, the finds of which are now on display at the
British Museum. In 1920, upon returning from the
World War I, brothers Jacques and Robert Delamain (sons of Philippe) became the sole owners of the company, which was renamed
Delamain et Cie. Robert Delamain became known for writing a
History of Cognac. His brother Jacques Delamain was an
birdwatcher and wrote several notable works, including
Why Birds Sing, 1929 – winner of the Montyon Prize from the
Académie Française. Both were published by their cousin Maurice Delamain, owner of
Éditions Stock and the Librairie Delamain, located on
rue Saint-Honoré, in Paris, opposite the
Comédie-Française. In 2020, the House of Delamain celebrated the 100th anniversary of its flagship cognac,
Pale & Dry XO. Also in 2020, Delamain launched its
Pléiade range, a collection of limited-edition single vintage and/or single vineyard cognacs. Delamain is one of three cognac houses—alongside
Hine and
Croizet—that have continuously maintained stocks of vintage (single-harvest) cognacs. In July 2021 Delamain was elected to membership of the Comité Colbert, a non-profit association known as the “Voice of French Luxury”, composed of France's most important crafted luxury goods and services. In announcing the election to membership, the Comité Colbert cited Delamain's “history, deep respect for traditions, including the value of inherited wisdom and the patience necessary to achieve excellence.” ==Products==