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23-507: The site of the distillery was settled by sugar farmers in 1690. The name stems from Arthur Dillon (1750–1794) , a soldier with Lafayette's troops in the American War of Independence . Serving with Dillon's Regiment , of the Irish Brigade (France) , he had been created a colonel at the age of 16. On returning to his home from the war, he married a rich widow, named Louise. Then they bought

46-609: A first cousin once removed, Therese-Lucy de Rothe (1751–1782). Arthur and Thérèse-Lucie had two children: He was to become the grandfather of Arthur Dillon , also a military officer. In 1778 France entered the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) on the American side. Colonel Dillon sailed with his regiment to the Caribbean to campaign against Britain under the command of D'Estaing . In 1779 he and his regiment fought at

69-458: A squadron from Europe under Lamotte-Picquet . The French were anchored off St. George's Town on the southwest of the island, and the British approached during the night. D'Estaing weighed anchor at 4:00 am when the British fleet was spotted, ordering his ships to form a line of battle in order of speed (that is, without regard to the usual sailing order), heading roughly northward. This masked

92-418: Is grown for two years and when harvested the sugar is extracted over a period of 2 to 3 days. Speed is essential. The saying goes "the cane should have its feet in the earth and its head in the mill". The cane is crushed three times by a steam engine driven mill to release the juice. Water is added and the juice is allowed to ferment. It is again milled to crush the sugar, and fermentation starts. The residue cane

115-539: Is used to fire the boilers that provide the steam. The distillation is a slow process, in columns heated to 65 °C (149 °F), producing an alcohol of 65%. It rests for five months then is reduced and bottled at 50% to 55%. This European corporation or company article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This distilled beverage –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Arthur Dillon (1750%E2%80%931794) Arthur Dillon (3 September 1750 – 13 April 1794)

138-505: The Capture of Grenada against British forces under George Macartney . They landed on 2 July, and stormed the Hospital Hill which the British had chosen as the centre of their resistance. Arthur personally led one of the storm parties, his brother Henry led another. Macartney surrendered on 5 July. On 6 July 1779 a British fleet under Admiral John Byron appeared off the coast of the island and

161-642: The Estates General of 1789 as a democratic, reformist royalist. Dillon assumed military duties at a very difficult time for noble officers of the old army. On 29 April 1792 his cousin Théobald Dillon was lynched by his own troops after a minor skirmish. After the Battle of Valmy , when Charles Dumouriez returned to the Belgian frontier with the greater part of the army, he detached Dillon with 16,000 troops to form

184-604: The Treaty of Paris , he became governor of Tobago . His first wife having died, he married a wealthy French Creole widow from Martinique , Laure de Girardin de Montgérald, the Comtesse de la Touche, by whom he had six children, including Élisabeth Françoise 'Fanny' Dillon , later wife of Henri Gatien Bertrand . The Dillon Estate in Martinique produced sugar and later produced Dillon Rum. He returned to Paris to represent Martinique in

207-582: The French forces of the Comte D'Estaing had just captured . Incorrectly believing he had numerical superiority, Byron ordered a general chase to attack the French as they left their anchorage at Grenada. Because of the disorganized attack and the French Navy's numerical superiority, Byron's fleet was badly mauled in the encounter, although no ships were lost on either side. Naval historian Alfred Thayer Mahan described

230-563: The battle as "the most disastrous... that the British Navy had encountered since Beachy Head, in 1690 ." Following the entry of France into the American War of Independence as an American ally in early 1778, French Admiral the Comte D'Estaing arrived in the West Indies in early December 1778 in command of a fleet consisting of 12 ships of the line and a number of smaller vessels. At about

253-511: The estate, flourishing with sugar cane, and had a daughter Fanny. Dillon became a deputy, and his daughter was presented by her cousin Josephine to Napoleon . She married General Bertrand, and they both accompanied Napoleon into exile on Elba and St Helena . On returning to the Dillon Plantation, she campaigned against slavery. There are ten varieties of sugar cane used by Dillon. The cane

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276-482: The line and 1 frigate . Because he was escorting troop transports and was short of frigates, three ships of the line were assigned duty to escort the transports. Admiral d'Estaing was warned on July 5 of Byron's approach, and promptly reembarked most of his troops. His fleet consisted of 25 ships of the line and a large number of frigates and smaller vessels. Admiral Byron was unaware of d'Estaing's full strength, since during his absence d'Estaing had been reinforced by

299-550: The line under Admiral John Byron, who assumed command of the British Leeward Islands station. Throughout the first half of 1779, both fleets received further reinforcements, after which the French fleet was slightly superior to that of the British. Furthermore, Byron departed St. Lucia on 6 June in order to provide escort services to British merchant ships gathering at St. Kitts for a convoy to Europe, leaving d'Estaing free to act. D'Estaing and Governor Bouillé seized

322-478: The main body and were very badly mauled. Lion was forced to run downwind to Jamaica to avoid capture. The French lost no ships and eventually hauled off. The British lost 183 killed and 346 wounded. Fame had four killed and nine wounded. The French lost 190 killed and 759 wounded. D'Estaing returned to Grenada to make repairs while Byron made for St. Kitts to do the same. The French admiral failed to capitalise on his superior strength to launch further attacks in

345-496: The naval engagement of the Battle of Grenada was fought. In September and October 1779 Dillon fought at the Siege of Savannah where he was promoted brigadier. Dillon and his regiment participated in the Invasion of Tobago , the Capture of Sint Eustatius , and the Siege of Brimstone Hill . With the victory at Brimstone Hill, Arthur Dillon was made Military Governor of Saint Kitts . After

368-552: The opportunity to begin a series of operations against nearby British possessions . Their first target, the isle of Saint Vincent , fell on 18 June, and d'Estaing turned his attention to other islands. He had hoped to capture the key British possession, Barbados , but after making no progress against the prevailing easterly trade winds , he turned his attention instead to Grenada. The French fleet arrived off Grenada on 2 July, and stormed its main defences beginning late on 3 July. Terms of capitulation were agreed on 4 July. On

391-561: The rump of the Army of the Ardennes around 1 October 1792. Two weeks later Dillon was called to Paris for questioning and was ultimately arrested on 1 July 1793 despite being stoutly defended by his aide-de-camp François Séverin Marceau-Desgraviers . He was condemned for alleged participation in a prison conspiracy and executed by guillotine on 13 April 1794. In his final moments he mounted

414-463: The same time, a British fleet under Admiral William Hotham also arrived, augmenting the fleet of Admiral Samuel Barrington . The British then captured French-held St. Lucia , despite d'Estaing's attempt at relief . The British used St. Lucia to monitor the major French base at Martinique , where d'Estaing was headquartered. The British fleet was further reinforced in January 1779 by ten ships of

437-653: The scaffold shouting, "Vive le roi!" (Long live the king). Battle of Grenada The Battle of Grenada took place on 6 July 1779 during the American Revolutionary War in the West Indies between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy , just off the coast of Grenada . A British fleet led by Admiral John Byron (the grandfather of Lord Byron ) had sailed in an attempt to relieve Grenada, which

460-432: The true strength of the French fleet as each ship left the cluster at the anchorage. Believing his force to be superior, Byron gave the order for general chase , approaching the anchorage from the northeast. When Byron finally became aware of the full French strength, he attempted to reform a battle line. As a result, the British attack was disordered and confused. Fame , Lion and two other ships got separated from

483-510: The way, the French squadron met the 50-gun Fier Rodrigue , under Chevalier de Montault, a letter of marque belonging to Beaumarchais and escorting a convoy. They commandeered Fier Rodrigue , and she took a place in the French line of battle. Admiral Byron had been alerted to the French action at Saint Vincent, and was sailing with a force to recapture it. When news arrived that the French were at Grenada, he immediately changed course to meet them. The British fleet consisted of 21 ships of

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506-771: Was a French Army officer and politician who served during the American Revolutionary War and the War of the First Coalition . After serving in several political officers during the early years of the French Revolution , he was executed in Paris as a royalist during the Reign of Terror in 1794. Arthur was born on 3 September 1750 at Bray Wick in Berkshire , England . He was the second son of Henry Dillon and his wife Charlotte Lee. His father

529-435: Was the 11th Viscount Dillon. Arthur's mother was a daughter of George Lee, 2nd Earl of Lichfield . He had six siblings, who are listed in his father's article . On 25 August 1767, at the age of 16, he became colonel of Dillon's Regiment taking over from his father who had been absentee colonel for twenty years from 1747 to 1767 after the death of his uncle Edward at Lauffeld in 1747. At eighteen, Colonel Dillon married

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