Vancouver / Names / B / Bell / West 7th Avenue

A family name on West 7th Avenue, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Fairview and West Point Grey

The Bells

In the city directories 1940 · six people at four addresses

The directories print six people named Bell at four addresses in 1940, all on West 7th Avenue. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 137 other streets too, all listed on the Bell name's own page.

Reserve this family's book, freeThe name in every directory we hold from 1901 to 1945, at every address, each line with its page, to read here or save as a PDF. About $29 when orders open.

Where the Bells lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    1167 West 7th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Mrs J Bell, a widow 1940
    • Mrs Marguerite Bell, a washer at French Hand Laundry 1940

    Next door in 1940: L Williamson at 1163 and Mrs I M Iverson at 1173. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1540 West 7th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • John Bell 1940

    Next door in 1940: G I Smith at 1530 and G W White at 1544. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2335 West 7th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • F Bell, a stableman at McGavins 1940

    Next door in 1940: O L Vollum at 2325 and A Wilson at 2345. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3707 West 7th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • H O Bell, a school teacher 1940
    • Richard W Bell, an agent at Canadian Collieries 1940

    Next door in 1940: H Aley at 3719. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the six: an agent, a school teacher, a stableman and a washer. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview (2), Kitsilano and West Point Grey. Each neighbourhood's page shows its trades, its people and every street in it, the way the directory printed them.

The story, address by address

In 1940 the directory lists Mrs J Bell at 1167 West 7th Avenue. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Jean Bell there as the householder, a widow, with Mrs Marguerite Bell, a washer at French Hand Laundry. The 1940 name section lists John Bell at 1540 West 7th Avenue.

F Bell is listed at 2335 West 7th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Fred Bell there as the householder, a stableman at McGavins. H O Bell is listed at 3707 West 7th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark). The 1940 name section lists Henry O Bell there as the householder, a school teacher, with Richard W Bell, an agent at Canadian Collieries.

Today

2335 West 7th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1912 by the City's record and on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 3707 West 7th (1970) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1167 West 7th and 1540 West 7th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 9 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section

The book of the Bells

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Bell name in each Vancouver directory we hold from 1901 to 1945: everyone printed under it at every address, their work from the name sections, who lived next door, and the page behind every line, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give.

We're opening orders soon. Join the list to be first in line; we expect about $29 a family.

One email, when it's ready. We use your email for nothing else and never share it. Privacy

Another name, or a house

Sources

Henderson's and successor city directories for Vancouver, read by us line by line: the street sections for 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1940 and 1945, and the name section for 1930 and 1940 where we've read it (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories). Names are shown through 1945, as printed. Close spellings are grouped, as on the house pages, since a family's name was often spelled differently from one year to the next; one name can still be several families, and we join lines only where the first names or initials agree. Many Chinese, Japanese and other residents weren't named by the canvassers, so they can't be listed by name: their houses' pages say where. More family names under B. Want a name removed? Tell us.