Henry Birks & Sons of Canada

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Henry Birks & Sons, Limited - Montreal - 1914

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Henry Birks & Sons Limited - Montreal - 1914

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DESCRIBES SPOON MAKING

"It now takes seven trades of silversmiths and 18 operations to make a silver spoon," said Henry G. Birks, managing director of Henry Birks & Sons, Ltd., Montreal, Can, addressing the Mount Royal Women’s Community Club, recently, "The history of the silversmith’s craft goes as far back as the records of mankind can be traced," he said. He spoke of the huge quantities of silver purchased by the Emperor Constantine for the church of St. Sofia at Constantinople. Specimens of silver have been found on the site of Ur of the Chaldees, and there are remains from the Sumerian civilization. He also described the work of the medieval monks and early craftsmen.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone - January 1939

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147 With 25 Years of Service Enrolled in Birks’ Old Guard

The annual presentation for members of Henry Birks & Sons, with 25 years of continuous service, who have become eligible for the “Birks Old Guard,” took place Saturday evening, Feb. 1. The Montrealers who became members are: Miss E. Inglis, Ernest Pearce, Leo Leblanc, W. Woodcock and John F. Young. There were also two from the Winnipeg store. The Birks firm now has a total of 147 who belong to the Old Guard, 94 of whom are active.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone - March 1941

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OBITURY

Charles M. Simpson, 46, merchandise manager and salesman for Henebry & Son, Roanoke, Va., jewelers, who had been ill for several months, suffered a fatal cerebral hemorrhage in January. A native of Ontario, Canada, Mr. Simpson received his early training in the trade with Henry Birks & Son, in the Ottowa store. He later managed the Birks’ Halifax store for three years and in 1924 moved to Jacksonville, Fla., as a salesman for Greenleaf & Crosby. Before joining Henebry & Son in 1931 he was a traveling representative in the South-Central states with the Towle Co.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone - March 1941

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JOHN E. BIRKS

MONTREAL, March 19 (Canadian Press)—John Earl Birks, for fifty years with the firm of Henry Birks & Sons, and a nephew of the founder of the firm, died today after a brief illness. His age was 72. Born in Peoria, Ill., Mr. Birks came to Montreal when a young man to enter his uncle’s business as a jeweler and silversmith.

Source: The New York Times - 20th March 1948

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JOHN LESLIE

Montreal—Canada’s oldest silverware expert, John Leslie, died at his home, here, on Oct. 10, in his 91st year. Mr. Leslie was engaged in the silver manufacturing business with Robert Hendery, whose firm he joined as a boy, and later became a partner in the firm of Hendery & Leslie, which was incorporated with Henry Birks & Sons about forty years ago. He remained as manager of the silver manufacturing department. He retired in 1925 when he was made a director of Henry Birks & Sons, Ltd.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone - November 1939

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Birks - Montreal - 1921

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Montreal—W. M. Birks, president of Henry Birks & Sons, Ltd., sailed for England Feb. 3.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone - March 1937

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In the last 65 years South Africa has produced 185,000,000 carats weight of diamonds, or three-quarters of all the diamonds owned by the human race, the Rotary Club of Westmount was told at their luncheon meeting in Victoria Hall by Lovell Baker, of Henry Birks & Sons, Ltd., Montreal, Can. His subject was the “King of Gems” and he entertained the Rotarians with the mysterious history of the famous diamonds such as the “Kohinoor” which found its way from a Rajah’s treasure in 1304 A. D., to the crown jewels of England today; the “Regent” carried once concealed in the wound of an Indian slave and finally resting in the Louvre, Paris; and the “Cullinan,” largest of all diamonds.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone - January 1937

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Birks - Montreal - 1914

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BIRKS SHIFTS HEAD OFFICE

Montreal—Henry Birks and Sons, Ltd., jewelers and silversmiths, have taken out supplementary letters patent changing the head-office of the company from Montreal to Ottawa.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone - October 1937

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George Barron Barrie, who, until his retirement through illness a year ago, had charge of the jewelry repair department of Henry Birks & Sons, Ltd.,. Montreal, died July 17. Born 53 years. ago in Aberdeen, Scotland, he learned his trade there and came to Montreal 29 years ago, associating himself with Birks during the whole of his career in Canada.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone - August 1936

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Ryrie-Birks Limited - Toronto - 1925

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W. Noble Birks, 58, a director of the Henry Birks & Sons, Ltd., jewelry firm of Montreal, Canada, died on December 2. His father was president of the company. Mr. Birks retired in 1950 because of ill health but remained a director. Three brothers and three sisters survive him.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone - February 1957

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Henry Birks, senior partner of the firm of Henry Birks & Sons, Montreal, is spending the busy season in Winnipeg, Man., assisting the staff of the firm’s western establishment during the holiday rush.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 30th December 1903

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A daring jewelry robbery was perpetrated in daylight at the store of Henry Birks & Sons, 350 Alain St., Winnipeg, Man., on the afternoon of Monday, May 14, by a man who smashed the window with a brick and seized a tray of diamond rings. He had skeleton keys in his possession with which he locked the store doors, preventing any immediate pursuit by the staff. He then dashed through the Bank of Montreal, next door, fastening the doors behind him, and so eluded capture. In his haste to escape, however, he dropped 15 out of the 18 rings which the tray contained, which were recovered. The three with which he got away are valued at $1,250.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 23rd May 1906

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Birks - Canada - 1958

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D. Waverley Dingwall

Winnipeg, Can., Oct. 16—A leader in the retail and manufacturing jewelry business in Winnipeg, D. Waverley Dingwall, 54, was found dead in bed at his home here today. Death was due to a heart attack. Mr. Dingwall was in apparently excellent health when he left Birks-Dingwall, Limited, of which organization he was president, last night.

He was born in Port Hope, Ontario, 1881, and was brought to Winnipeg by his parents the following year.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular-Keystone - November 1935

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