In the second half of the 18th century, Martinique became a major sugar producer. The Trou Vaillant habitation, managed by the Brothers of Charity, was home to stills used to distil molasses residue to raise financial support for the Saint-Pierre military hospital at the foot of Mount Pelée which they ran. Father Edmond Lefébure, the head of the congregation, took matters into hand and organized the export of excess rum supplies to the English colonies in North America, as it was illegal to export the product to France to prevent competition with wine-based spirits. It was sold under the name Saint James, which was easier for the English to pronounce and named after Saint Jacques, one of the estate’‘s habitations. In the 19th century, Martinique became a leading rum producer. The brand was registered in 1882 after it was bought by Paulin Lambert, a Marseilles businessman who purchased several habitations and oversaw the production of rum and its export to mainland France, making the most of the Restoration to acquire properties from religious orders that had been nationalized during the French Revolution. Lambert was also behind the square-shaped bottle found today and used for the first vintage rum released by the house in 1885. The brand became a huge success despite the damage caused by the eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902. The company was bought by Cointreau in 1973, who grouped all the facilities together in Sainte-Marie.

A Martinique agricole rum distilled at the Saint James distillery in 1982. As with champagne, only the best years are bottled as a vintage. The 1980s were a difficult time for both rum and whisky producers and vintages from the period are few and far between. Each bottle is numbered on the neck label.