William Hearn
Title
William Hearn
Type
Individual
Company
Coverage
Toronto, ON
Active From
1853-01-01
Active Until
1860-01-01
Location
Toronto, ON
Product Areas
Mathematical
Activities
Manufacturing
Timeline
- 1852 – William Hearn recently taken over the business of George Savage at 54 King Street, Toronto, selling clocks, electroplated household items, boxes and jewellery. (“Electro Plate”)
- 1853 – In a partnership with Charles Potter. (Brooks & Daniels, 1040)
- 1857 – Partnership with Potter dissolved. (Brooks & Daniels, 1040)
- 1857, November – Advertising in the Globe: “The undersigned has added the manufactures of DRAWING to that of SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS, as carried on by the late firm of Hearn and Potter.” Located at 54 King St. E (“Drawing Instruments”)
- 1858, September – William Hearn at the Provincial Exhibition showing off “a large case of Mathematical Instruments, got up in a very superior style…”, comes second to A.F. Potter but admired by all. (“Prize List”; Descriptive Catalogue of the Provincial Exhibition 1858)
1859, January – Hearn business active at 85 Romain Buildings, King Street E., selling Mathematical Instruments and Jewellery, with Charles Hearn listed as “Agent”. “The business lately carried on at 84 King street East by Wm. Hearn has been removed to the above premises…” (“Removal”)
1859-60 – May be included as “Hearn, Charles, late Hearn & Potter, mathematical instrument maker 85 King St. W.” This seems to conflate William and Charles Hearn; it was William Hearn, not Charles, who was in a partnership with Charles Potter. William may have been working with Charles and under his name. (Caverhill’s Toronto City Directory 1859-60)
1860, March – Named in an advertisement for an auction sale: “Important auction sale of gold and silver watches, jewellery, surveyors’ instruments etc… the remainder of the valuable stock-in-trade belonging to the estate of Mr. William Hearn.”; this may be for legal reasons to recover debts, as with Charles Potter, rather than death. (“Important Auction Sale”; Brooks & Daniels, 1040)
1967 – Possible Hearn with an “establishment” on York Street in Ottawa who has access to microscopes through which people are invited to look at “protozoa” (E. VanCortlandt)
1869 – Possible William Hearn in Ottawa, ON, listed as “Dealer in Photographic Chemicals, Drawings, and all kinds of Optical Implements, real Brazillion Pebble Spectacles etc… Market Drug Store, York Street, Ottawa, ON.” (The Province of Ontario Gazetteer and Directory)
- 1853 – In a partnership with Charles Potter. (Brooks & Daniels, 1040)
- 1857 – Partnership with Potter dissolved. (Brooks & Daniels, 1040)
- 1857, November – Advertising in the Globe: “The undersigned has added the manufactures of DRAWING to that of SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS, as carried on by the late firm of Hearn and Potter.” Located at 54 King St. E (“Drawing Instruments”)
- 1858, September – William Hearn at the Provincial Exhibition showing off “a large case of Mathematical Instruments, got up in a very superior style…”, comes second to A.F. Potter but admired by all. (“Prize List”; Descriptive Catalogue of the Provincial Exhibition 1858)
1859, January – Hearn business active at 85 Romain Buildings, King Street E., selling Mathematical Instruments and Jewellery, with Charles Hearn listed as “Agent”. “The business lately carried on at 84 King street East by Wm. Hearn has been removed to the above premises…” (“Removal”)
1859-60 – May be included as “Hearn, Charles, late Hearn & Potter, mathematical instrument maker 85 King St. W.” This seems to conflate William and Charles Hearn; it was William Hearn, not Charles, who was in a partnership with Charles Potter. William may have been working with Charles and under his name. (Caverhill’s Toronto City Directory 1859-60)
1860, March – Named in an advertisement for an auction sale: “Important auction sale of gold and silver watches, jewellery, surveyors’ instruments etc… the remainder of the valuable stock-in-trade belonging to the estate of Mr. William Hearn.”; this may be for legal reasons to recover debts, as with Charles Potter, rather than death. (“Important Auction Sale”; Brooks & Daniels, 1040)
1967 – Possible Hearn with an “establishment” on York Street in Ottawa who has access to microscopes through which people are invited to look at “protozoa” (E. VanCortlandt)
1869 – Possible William Hearn in Ottawa, ON, listed as “Dealer in Photographic Chemicals, Drawings, and all kinds of Optical Implements, real Brazillion Pebble Spectacles etc… Market Drug Store, York Street, Ottawa, ON.” (The Province of Ontario Gazetteer and Directory)
Sources
Brooks, R., Daniels, W.S. “Surveying Instrument Makers of Central Canada” (1993) Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering 20, 1037-1046 (1993): 1040
Caverhill’s Toronto City Directory 1859-60 (1859): 92
Descriptive Catalogue of the Provincial Exhibition at Toronto, September 1858, Second Edition! (Wiman & Co., 1858): 25
“Drawing Instruments” The Globe (Toronto), 30 November 1857: Classifieds 1
“Electro-Plate” The Globe (Toronto), November 6, 1852: Classifieds 2
“Important Auction Sale…” The Globe (Toronto), March 16, 1860: 3
McEvoy, H. (ed.) The Province of Ontario Gazetteer and Directory (Robertson & Cook, 1869): Advertisements between pages 48-49
“Removal – Mathematical Instruments & Jewellery” The Globe (Toronto), January 26, 1859: 4
Smith, J.A. “Charles Potter, Optician and Instrument Maker” (1992) http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1993JRASC..87...14S
“Prize List” The Globe (Toronto), October 1, 1858: 2
VanCortlandt, E., Letter to the Editor The Ottawa Citizen, March 26, 1867: 2
Caverhill’s Toronto City Directory 1859-60 (1859): 92
Descriptive Catalogue of the Provincial Exhibition at Toronto, September 1858, Second Edition! (Wiman & Co., 1858): 25
“Drawing Instruments” The Globe (Toronto), 30 November 1857: Classifieds 1
“Electro-Plate” The Globe (Toronto), November 6, 1852: Classifieds 2
“Important Auction Sale…” The Globe (Toronto), March 16, 1860: 3
McEvoy, H. (ed.) The Province of Ontario Gazetteer and Directory (Robertson & Cook, 1869): Advertisements between pages 48-49
“Removal – Mathematical Instruments & Jewellery” The Globe (Toronto), January 26, 1859: 4
Smith, J.A. “Charles Potter, Optician and Instrument Maker” (1992) http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1993JRASC..87...14S
“Prize List” The Globe (Toronto), October 1, 1858: 2
VanCortlandt, E., Letter to the Editor The Ottawa Citizen, March 26, 1867: 2
Collection
Citation
“William Hearn,” Precision Instrument Culture in Canada, accessed December 21, 2024, http://omeka.uottawa.ca/instrument-precision/items/show/2190.
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