Henry Birks

Who was Henry Birks?

Henry Birks was a Canadian businessman and founder of Henry Birks and Sons, a chain of high-end Canadian jewellery stores.

He was born to English immigrants from Yorkshire,England. His parents moved to Canada in 1832.Son of John Birks, a pharmacist, and Ann Marie.He did his schooling in commercial studies at High School Of Montreal. In 1857, Birks was hired as a clerk at Savage and Lyman in Montreal, reputed to be the finest jeweller and watchmaker in the Province of Canada at that time. Although Birks eventually became a partner in the firm in 1868, the company's later financial difficulties encouraged Birks to leave in 1877.

With an investment of C$3000, Birks opened his own small jewellery shop in 1879 on St. James Street in the heart of Montreal's financial and commercial district. In 1893, Birks went into partnership with his three sons, and the name of the firm became Henry Birks and Sons. As the focus of Montreal's commercial centre moved north towards Saint Catherine Street, the Birks store moved to new premises on Phillips Square in 1894, where the company still maintains a store and corporate offices.