He was born in Queen's County (now County Laois), Ireland, to Valentine Knightley Chetwode Labat (1761–1813), an Irish-Huguenot, and Jane Harper Labat.

When Eccles retired in 1854, Labatt acquired his interest and renamed the firm the "London Brewery".

[citation needed] In 1849, Labatt started a new venture along with several other London businessmen including Thomas Carline called the Proof Line Road Joint Stock Company.

[2] The company built a road that linked London and the northern hinterlands.

[1] Upon his death, his son John Labatt purchased the brewery, which grew to become one of the largest in Canada.