Vancouver / Names / B / Benn

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Benns

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at five addresses

The directories print seven people named Benn at five addresses in 1940 in three of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family.

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 Benns 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

    1273 Barclay Street

    West End, 1940

    • Benn 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M Skinner at 1267 and J N McLeod at 1275. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1028 Haro Street

    West End, 1940

    • H S Benn, on active service 1940

    Next door in 1940: J W Proctor at 1030. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1118 Pendrell Street

    West End, 1940

    • V Benn, a musician 1940
    • Mrs Anna Benn, proprietor of Benn's Coffee Shop 1940

    Next door in 1940: oliver at 1116 and R Davison at 1120. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    5295 Spencer Street

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • Mrs N P Benn 1940

    Next door in 1940: F P Stephens at 5277. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    786 West 24th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • Mrs E Benn, widow of J 1940
    • Alice M Benn, a waitress at the Shaughnessy Hospital Canadian Government 1940

    Next door in 1940: H MacKay at 778. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the seven: a musician, an on active service, a proprietor and a waitress. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (3), Renfrew-Collingwood and South Cambie. 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Benn at 1273 Barclay Street. H S Benn is listed at 1028 Haro Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Hubert S Benn there as the householder, on active service.

V Benn is listed at 1118 Pendrell Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Viggo Benn there as the householder, a musician, with Mrs Anna Benn, proprietor of Benn's Coffee Shop. Mrs N P Benn is listed at 5295 Spencer Street 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 Mrs Nancy P Benn there as the householder.

Mrs E Benn is listed at 786 West 24th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Eden Benn there as the householder, widow of J, with Alice M Benn, a waitress at the Shaughnessy Hospital Canadian Government.

Today

5295 Spencer and 786 West 24th still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 1273 Barclay, 1028 Haro and 1118 Pendrell, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 11 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Benns

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Benn 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.