Henry Birks & Sons of Canada

[dognose]

''This is a time for wise conservation," said W. M. Birks, head of the firm of Henry Birks & Sons, who recently visited Vancouver in the course of an inspection tour. "On my trip across Canada I found conditions quite good, and from my observations I am an optimist as to the future." Mr. Birks spent a few days at the Coast before returning to Montreal.

Source: The Trader - August 1920

Trev.

[dognose]

The announcement made in Winnipeg by W. M. Birks. vice-president and general manager of Henry Birks & Sons Ltd., to the effect that his company had acquired the business of D. E. Black & Co.. of Calgary, was of distinct interest to the trade.

"We had planned to sink our roots down deep in the four chief centres of the Dominion of Canada—Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver," he was quoted as saying in an interview in the "Free Press," and we have now entered what may be called for the present, the secondary cities, and have established the firm in Halifax, Ottawa and Calgary. The latter is the only point where we do not own the building we occupy, but we have excellent accommodation in a splendid structure.

'I'm just back from Europe," he continued. "and I was extremely pleased to find conditions so much improved in Britain. A year had elapsed since my last visit, and the change for the better was extraordinary. The people have resumed work and are getting back to normal very rapidly. In Paris and in France generally the recovery is not as marked, although the peasants of that country engaged in agriculture are making an excellent showing. In Belgium the situation is good and the reports from the balance of Europe are conflicting."

Source: The Trader - August 1920

Trev.

[dognose]

WINNIPEG

Tom Porte, one of the joint managers of the local Birks establishment, presented the Rotary Club with a Union Jack recently, t'he occasion also being marked by the presentation to the club of the Stars and Stripes by the New York Rotary Club. Mr. Porte also figured among the successful candidates at the recent elections for the Board of Trade Council.

Source: The Trader - August 1920

Trev.

[dognose]

Henry Birks, of the firm of Henry Birks & Sons, Montreal, passed through Peterboro recently in his cruiser on a tour of the Trent Valley Canal, and has written a letter to G.K. Fraser, president of the Trent Waterways Development Association, remarking upon the beauty of the route, and stating that hereafter he will visit the district annually.

Source: The Trader - September 1920

Trev.

[dognose]

Henry Birks & Sons, Montreal, Can., have leased premises for a Winnipeg branch store which will be handsomely furnished.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 18th March 1903

Trev.

[dognose]

William Birks, of Henry Birks & Sons, Montreal, was in Boston during the past week to attend the motor boat exhibition, and called on business friends in the trade.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 2nd February 1910

Trev.

[dognose]

Henry Birks & Sons, Montreal, have engaged Jerry Britton, late of Britton Bros., Lindsay, to take charge of their optical department.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 6th October 1897

Trev.

[dognose]

Telegraph Key Made by Montreal Jewelers to be Used by King Edward





The accompanying picture is the photograph of the set of telegraph instruments which have been made by Henry Birks & Sons, Ltd., Montreal, Can., to be used by King Edward VII. in opening by direct cable communication from Buckingham Palace, London, the Royal Edward Institute, which has been erected at Belmont Park, Montreal, for the study, treatment and cure of tuberculosis.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 3rd November 1909

Trev.

[dognose]

J. J. Houghton who has gone from Toronto to Montreal where he has secured an engagement with Henry Birks & Sons, was before his departure presented by his late fellow employes of Ryrie Bros, with a handsome chime clock. A farewell gathering was held at the residence of James Ryrie, on the evening of the 28th ult. where the presentation was made by James Bailey.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 13th October 1897

Trev.

[dognose]

Henry Birks & Sons, Montreal, have announced that an erroneous impression may have reached the trade that the man named Cremer, who has been presenting worthless checks in Montreal, had succeeded in obtaining a certain amount of stock from that concern. J. Birks, of the firm, announced that although the man purchased $10,000 worth of goods, they were not delivered, and consequently the firm lost nothing by the transaction.

What was called a romantic story of how a young German came into a fortune went the rounds of the Canadian newspapers, clubs and gossip in general for about a week, when it was discovered that the story was a fake, and the young German is now in jail a confessed imposter. He called himself First Lieutenant Karl Cremer, late of the German army, and pretended that he had come into a fortune of $460,000. As usual in such cases he got plenty of people to believe him, including many merchants. He purchased a fine house and exquisite furniture, all on the strength of the fortune which did not exist. Among those he attempted to impose upon were Henry Birks & Sons, from whom he ordered jewelry worth $10,000. He is now in jail and has confessed to Chief Detective Carpenter that his fortune was a dream.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 7th November 1906

Trev.

[dognose]

Two of the Largest Jewelry Firms of Canada Consolidate

Montreal, Can., Feb. 1.—The announcement has just been made that the firms of Henry Birks & Sons, private headquarters in this city, and Ryrie Bros., Toronto, Ont., have entered into partnership. Each of these firms is the largest in its own district and the amalgamation of the two will make it one of the largest jewelry concerns on the continent. The business will be formed into a joint stock company with the following directors: William M. Birks, G.W. Birks, J. H. Birks, James Ryrie and Harry Ryrie.

As a result of the amalgamation the Ryrie firm will be able to employ the resources of the Birks factory, while the Birks firm will secure an outlet for its goods in Toronto, which it could not otherwise have obtained. Ryrie Bros, recently expended $100,000 on property at the corner of Yonge and Temperance Sts., Toronto, which will be opened in June. The firm of Henry Birks & Sons has been established for a period of nearly a quarter of a century.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 8th February 1905

Trev.

[dognose]

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Birks and their son Gerald, of Henry Birks & Sons, jewelers, Montreal, who have spent the last four months at their country residence, at Westmount, are once more established at 299 University St., Montreal.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 11th October 1899

Trev.

[dognose]

J. O. Patenaude, late of Henry Birks & Sons, Montreal, has opened an optical and watch repair store in Nelson, B. C.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 17th November 1897

Trev.

[dognose]

Henry Birks & Sons, Ltd., have given a silver cup as a prize for a five-mile foot race, which is to be run as one of the amusement attractions at Sherbrooke Fair, this month.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 8th September 1909

Trev.

[dognose]

W. M. Birks, of the firm of Henry Birks & Sons, Ltd., Montreal, has publicly expressed himself in favor of the principle of civic government by a board of control. This is a very “live” question in Montreal at the present time, and the opinions of leading business men are being sought as guidance for the electors. Sept. 20, when a referendum will decide whether a change shall be made in the system of civic government.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 8th September 1909

Trev.

[dognose]

Henry Birks and Mrs. Birks, of Montreal, leave shortly for Colorado Springs to join their son, Gerald Birks, who has spent the Winter in Colorado.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 13th March 1895

Trev.

[dognose]

Birks - Montreal - 1932

GEORGIAN - DEVONSHIRE - TUDOR ROYAL - SAXON

Trev.

[dognose]

An important arrest was made in Montreal last month when H. H. Muggley, age 48, claiming to be from New York was picked up by the police after endeavoring to purchase valuable articles in the Mappin and Webb and Birks' stores.

The arrest was due to the fact that Mr. W. Talbot Payton, secretary of Mappin and Webb, Limited, had noticed in the Jewelers' Circular an account of a man securing $5,400 worth of jewelry from J. B. Hudson and Sons of Minneapolis by means of a worthless check.

Muggley arrived in Montreal from Vancouver and took a suite at the Windsor Hotel with his wife and 13 year old son. He paid several visits to the Mappin and Webb store and picked out a $6,000 stone for his wife. He was particular about getting the benefit of the New York exchange on the cheque with which he proposed to make payment and Mr. Payton became suspicious, recollecting the description of the man who had operated in Minneapolis. He communicated with the police and Muggley was placed under arrest. All of the jewelry reported as missing by the Hudson firm was recovered and proceedings were at once taken to have the prisoner returned to Minneapolis.

Muggley had visited the store of Henry Birks & Sons in Vancouver, but was unable to put anything over on the astute Western representatives. He found the going equally hard in Montreal as he had visited the local Birk's store and selected a $6,000 diamond ring, but Mr. W. M. Birks had a dispatch from Vancouver advising him to accept no check from the visitor and he was accordingly refused credit.

Source: The Trader - April 1920

Trev.

[dognose]

Chief Benoit, of the Montreal Fire Brigade, has received a check for $25 from Henry Birks & Sons, Montreal, to be placed to the credit of the Firemen’s Benevolent Fund. The brigade did good service at the recent fire near the corner of Philips Sq., in preventing the Birks’ establishment from being flooded by water.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 29th June 1904

Trev.

[dognose]

William Birks, of Henry Birks & Sons, was elected a member of the advisory committee of the Montreal Business Men’s League at the annual meeting, held in Montreal, last week. It was decided to institute a Canadian Home Week, to cover the period of the St. Jean Baptiste celebration, and arrangements have been made with the railways to run excursions to Montreal from the eastern States, Quebec, Ontario and the Maritime Provinces, from June 22 to July 5.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 25th March 1903

Trev.