Ryrie
Title
Ryrie
Ryrie, Birks Ltd.
Birks, Ellis and Ryrie Ltd.
Birks
Type
Company
Coverage
Toronto, ON
Montreal, QC
Begin Date
1879-01-01
Active Until
Ongoing
Location
113 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON (1879)
118 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON (1890)
132-138 Yonge St., Toronto, ON (1905)
Product Areas
Jewellery
Clocks
Activities
Manufacturing
Repairing
Timeline
- 1879 – James Ryrie, who had been apprenticed previously in the same location with Segworth & Co., takes over the store at 113 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON. The store is named, “Ryrie the Jeweller” (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 1883 – Harry Ryrie, James’ son, is listed as “watchmaker, employed by James Ryrie with rooms at Suffolk Place.” William Ryrie, the other son, is also there. (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 1890 – Store moves to 118 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 1904 – Ryrie combines with Montreal jewellery company Birks. (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 1905 – Moves to giant premises on Yonge and Temperence at 132-138 Yonge St., Toronto, ON, called “Diamond Hall”. (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 1913 – University of Toronto Department of Physics buys items from Ryrie’s or pays them to make repairs. (Satterly Ledger, Purchases 1912-13)
- 1921, May – Ryrie’s employed to mend stopwatches by the University of Toronto Department of Physics. Invoice reads: “We find on examination of the Stop Watch you sent to us for report, that the following repairs are necessary: Balance jewel, repair balance staff and polish pivots, repair fly back which operates the split second and, and cleaning.” (Satterly Ledger, May 1921)
- 1924 – Name changed to “Ryrie, Birks Limited” (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 1933 – Amalgamation of “Birks, Ellis and Ryrie Limited”. (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 2024 - Active as Birks.
- 1883 – Harry Ryrie, James’ son, is listed as “watchmaker, employed by James Ryrie with rooms at Suffolk Place.” William Ryrie, the other son, is also there. (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 1890 – Store moves to 118 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 1904 – Ryrie combines with Montreal jewellery company Birks. (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 1905 – Moves to giant premises on Yonge and Temperence at 132-138 Yonge St., Toronto, ON, called “Diamond Hall”. (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 1913 – University of Toronto Department of Physics buys items from Ryrie’s or pays them to make repairs. (Satterly Ledger, Purchases 1912-13)
- 1921, May – Ryrie’s employed to mend stopwatches by the University of Toronto Department of Physics. Invoice reads: “We find on examination of the Stop Watch you sent to us for report, that the following repairs are necessary: Balance jewel, repair balance staff and polish pivots, repair fly back which operates the split second and, and cleaning.” (Satterly Ledger, May 1921)
- 1924 – Name changed to “Ryrie, Birks Limited” (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 1933 – Amalgamation of “Birks, Ellis and Ryrie Limited”. (“And Still We Grew…”)
- 2024 - Active as Birks.
Sources
Burstyn, Dorothea “And Still We Grew…” Silver Society of Canada (http://www.silversocietyofcanada.ca/sites/default/files/Ryrie.pdf)
Satterly, John. Purchase Ledger. University of Toronto Archives (uncatalogued): 74–76
Satterly, John. Purchase Ledger. University of Toronto Archives (uncatalogued): 74–76
Citation
“Ryrie,” Precision Instrument Culture in Canada, accessed October 16, 2024, http://omeka.uottawa.ca/instrument-precision/items/show/4281.