J. Wray & Nephew was founded in 1825 by "Uncle" John Wray, who produced his own rums for business The Shakespeare Tavern. In 1860, the nephew Charles Ward was brought into the business completing the partnership. The company was purchased in 1916 and eventually acquired Appleton Estates.

Appleton Estates claims rum production back to 1749 with origins of the estate in 1655 during British and Spanish hostilities: Frances Dickinson is believed to have been granted in the estate in service to the British crown. The rums are considered "estate" rums for the sugar (ultimately molasses) grown and produced on the same grounds as the distillery--think of it as craft distilling writ-large like a plantation. They believe the Nassau valley soil and aquifer water produces unique characters in the rum. They are currently invested in "Green Cane Harvesting" by 2010 and have a variety of sustainable measures in their production. (From the company website, July 2009)