“French” Tom Barton Famous Wine Merchant.

”French Tom” Barton was born on the 21st of December 1695 at his father’s house at Curraghmore, Pettigo, and was sent to school in Ballyshannon. He emigrated to France and worked as a wine factor at Marseille and Montpelier
before moving to Bordeaux and founding his famous wine firm Barton and Guestier when he was about thirty years old. It was not until the period of the French Revolution that the name Guestier became associated with that of Barton the wine merchants. Hugh Barton, then head of the firm had to flee the French Revolution and he arranged with Daniel Guestier, his foreman, to manage his business in Bordeaux while he managed its affairs in Britain.

At any time Guestier could have seized the business as his own. Eventually a partnership was drawn up between the two men in 1802, which continued between their descendants until the firm was sold in recent times. In 1830 both men brought their eldest sons into the partnership and thus the firm of Barton and Guestier was born.