JAIME PARTAGAS Y RABELL- FOUNDER OF LA FLOR DE TABACOSDE PARTAGaS Y COMPAniA

FOUNDER OF LA FLOR DE TABACOS DE PARTAGÁS Y COMPAÑÍA

ARENYS DE MAR IS A COASTAL town in Catalonia, about 40 kilometers from Barcelona and home to an important port on the Mediterranean Sea. This is where the tailor Jaime Partagás Gras wed Teresa Rabell Pallarola in 1815. Their firstborn son, Jaime, was born here on December 7, 1816, followed by a brother, Sebastián, two years later. It is unknown whether the father aspired for one of his sons to follow in his footsteps into the family trade, or if there were one or more occasions on which he spoke to them about a land where, as it was told, pure gold was used to pave streets and roof the houses. The truth is that the firstborn son, Jaime Partagás y Rabell, at just 14 years of age, surprised everyone by setting sail on July 29, 1831, and heading to “Cubita la Bella”, the dreamt-of Havana, in order to “make it in America”, a goal sought after by many at the time.

Above: Label from “Flor de Cabañas by Partagás” 1850. From the collection of Tony Hyman, National Cigar Museum, U.S.A. Below: This is the oldest known box of Havana cigars. Exhibited in the 1851 Great World Exhibition in London. The cigars inside are the original cigars and are called La Cabañas. These are the cigars whose reputation caused Partagas to sell his cigars under the Cabañas trademarked name (without permission of course). From the collection of Fox Cigar Merchants, Dublin and London. Photo: Nik Wing

At age 18, while under the protection of compatriots and family members–he was a family member of Prudencio Rabell, a well-known Catalan figure in the tobacco industry at the time—he had already started working in the cigar trade, having secured employment with Juan Conill y Pi, another Catalan who, in 1840, would found the city’s first large tobacco leaf warehouse on the corner of Cristo and Teniente Rey Streets. Around 1838, Jaime began producing cigars in a small, modest shop and, using his own funds along with those of his wife, Catalina Puig, established the Partagás factory in 1845, located in the building on Calle Industria, where it still operates today.

Traditionally, the cigars from this business have been called “Partagás.” However, the name registered by the founder, and under which it still operates, is actually “Flor de Tabacos de Partagás y Compañía.” To understand the origin of this name and the reasons for its adoption, we need to look back in history a bit and consider what is known as the first Cuban cigar brand, “Cabañas.” These cigars were made starting in 1797 at a farm-like facility founded by Cuban Francisco Álvarez Cabañas at Calle Jesús María number 12 in Havana, and they had been marketed in London since 1833.

Later, after the founder's death, when the Spanish royal monopoly of the “Real Factoría de Tabacos de La Habana” ended and the small business was managed by the Asturian Manuel González Carvajal, the small business relocated and became one of the most important cigar factories in the city. By the time Jaime Partagás opened his new factory, the “Cabañas” Havana cigars enjoyed a leading position among smokers in London, becoming one of the top-selling brands there.
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Trying to capitalize on the prestige the Cabañas brand had earned over the years, Jaime requested and was granted registration of the brand “Flor de Cabañas” in 1848 and began using​ it discreetly to identify the cigars he exported to England. On the labels, right after the brand name and written in very small characters, one could read: “de Partagás y Compañía”. The savvy Catalan estimated that when reading “Flor de Cabañas”, the consumers would assume that these were the best cigars of that famous factory. ​

Partagás receipt, May 13, 1865. Signed by José Partagás, son of the founder, who would inherit the company 3 years later. From the collection of Amir Saarony.

It wasn’t until five years later that González Carvajal uncovered the subterfuge and immediately filed a lawsuit against Partagás, demanding that he abandon the use of the brand he considered his exclusive property. On December 1, 1854, the Catalan was notified about the judgment against him, forcing him to adopt another name; it was then that he decided to register the name “Flor de Tabacos de Partagás y Compañía”.

Around the same time he inaugurated his cigar factory, Jaime Partagás purchased the large farm known as “Hato de la Cruz”–about sixty caballerías, which equals about eight hundred hectares (2,000 acres)– located in the municipality of Consolidación del Sur, Pinar del Río. Primarily dedicated to tobacco farming and serviced by 45 lessees, to whom the owner used to give cash advances charged against future crops. Jaime Partagás gradually expanded his business activities on the farm and opened two general stores where resident farmers could purchase as many items on credit as they needed for their homes or farm work.

Adjacent to Hato de la Cruz was another property owned by a Catalan named Pedro Mató Estalella. This operation also focused on leasing land for growing tobacco, buying crops, paying cash advances, or offering credit against crops at his stores. A fierce rivalry developed between the two, not only competing for sales and credit but especially for tobacco purchases from the growers. Mató often received the worst deals in these transactions. In 1864, or perhaps slightly earlier, Mató expanded his farm boundaries, encroaching on part of Hato de la Cruz's land. Upon discovering this, Partagás quickly responded by filing a complaint with the town’s mayor. The dispute lasted two years, and ultimately, Mató was ordered to return three-quarters of a caballería — about 10 hectares or 25 acres—that he had encroached upon, and to tear down, at his own expense, anything he had built on the land.

Wednesday, June 18th, 1868, at 11 p.m., Jaime Partagás rides back to his farm along a lonely road, accompanied by Pedro Arias, his trusted right-hand man. Suddenly, a shadow appears from the darkness, blocking their path. A gunshot rings out, and Jaime, his face covered in blood, falls from his horse. Meanwhile, Arias’s terrified horse gallops away at full speed, and the murderer flees, vanishing back into the darkness.
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Initial investigations pointed to Pedro Diaz, a freed slave and farmer living on a tobacco plantation near Pedro Mató’s and Jaime Partagás’s stores. When brought to court, he confessed to shooting his victim after offers were made by Ramón Novell–Mató’s partner and general store manager, and José Lino Ortega, who provided the gun. As Partagás fought for his life, the trial began against Pedro Díaz, Novell, Ortega, and Mató. The first three were sentenced to jail, while Pedro Mató, a Volunteer Captain, City Councilman of the Consolación City Hall, and alleged instigator of the attempt, was released “due to insufficient legal grounds for his detention,” according to the judge’s ruling.

On July 17, 1868, Jaime Partagás died at 34 San Rosendo, in the municipality of Pinar del Río. That marked the end of a man whose name has remained on the Havana cigar brand he created for over 160 years. Months later, the accomplices Ramón Novell and José Lino Ortega were released on bail, while Pedro Díaz was found dead in the prison infirmary. Following Jaime Partagás’s death, the surviving owners of the factory were his widow, Catalina Puig, and their children—José, Teresa, Clementina, and Adela. All of them formed a partnership with the Asturian Juan Antonio Bances González and ultimately sold him both the factory, including the brands, and the properties in Pinar del Río.

PARTAGAS EL LIBRO- THE BOOK

At 270 pages and featuring more than 500 images, Partagás El Libro continues to celebrate the rich history of its most iconic cigar brands. This updated edition delves into the legacy of one of the world’s most renowned cigars, exploring the lives and journeys of those who shaped its destiny, highlighting both their triumphs and challenges.

For the first time, this edition retains the original label from the cigars that Jaime Partagás was convicted of forging from another brand, offering a unique perspective on the brand's history. The book examines the evolution of ownership, the iconic cigars, and the competitive landscape from the early days through to the present, including contemporary quality control measures.

It also features insights into the history of advertising, the vibrant culture of readers at the factory, the role of the factory director, and includes an updated message from Abel Exposito, the current face of Partagás and manager of La Casa del Habanos at the factory.
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As a special highlight, Simon Chase from Hunters & Frank interviews AU, one of the world's leading experts on Cuban cigars and their history, sharing fresh insights into the Partagás factory and its enduring legacy in the cigar world.

Cigar City Magazine does not have information on where you can find or buy this rare book. It would be something you have to search for.

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