Founded in 1680 by Thomas Dawson, Quarles Harris is amongst the oldest Port shippers still in existence, and their shipment of 98 pipes of Port in 1689 is the oldest recorded shipment by a firm still trading today. In the late 18th century they had a solid reputation as a shipper of fine quality Port, and were the second largest shipper of the time. The firm continued to trade and remained in family hands until the 1920’s when the then owner, Reginald Quarles Harris, sold the firm to his cousin’s husband – Andrew James Symington. AJ, as he was known, revived the firm and established it once more as a maker of fine quality Ports.