Vancouver / Names / B / Biddlecombe

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Biddlecombes

In the city directories 1940 · nine people at seven addresses

The directories print nine people named Biddlecombe at seven addresses in 1940 in four 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 Biddlecombes lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. Two addresses aren't on today's map, so they have no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    5845 Chester Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • F C Biddlecombe, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway 1940
    • Frederick S Biddlecombe, a salesman at Cowan-Dodson 1940

    Next door in 1940: G D Williams at 5825 and A E Burchall at 5855. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    4126 Commercial Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • J H Biddlecombe, a carpenter 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Tait at 4104 and J Antolch at 4132. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2866 East 44th Avenue

    Killarney, 1940

    • V A Biddlecombe, a sheet metal worker at Empire Sheet Metal 1940

    Next door in 1940: S M Rathburn at 2860 and T C Cornwall at 2874. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2161 East 46th Avenue

    Victoria-Fraserview, 1940

    • G W Biddlecombe, a sheet metal worker 1940

    Next door in 1940: C M Olsen at 2119 and F Shoebridge at 2173. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    656 East 47th Avenue

    Sunset, 1940

    • W E Biddlecombe, a laborer at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: Rev B H West at 646 and L E Graef at 666. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    3521 Fleming Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • E J Biddlecombe, a helper at North West Products 1940

    Next door in 1940: F G Brown at 3505 and R Sharples at 3529. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    6173 Windsor Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • G A Biddlecombe 1940
    • Edna E Biddlecombe, a saleswoman at Woolworths 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Terry at 6151 and Mrs M J Hirschfield at 6195. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for eight of the nine: a sheet metal worker (2), a carpenter, a helper, a laborer, a motorman and a salesman, among others.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Sunset (3), Kensington-Cedar Cottage (2), Killarney and Victoria-Fraserview. 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 F C Biddlecombe at 5845 Chester Street; 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, where each person's work is printed, lists Frederick C Biddlecombe there as the householder, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway, with Frederick S Biddlecombe, a salesman at Cowan-Dodson. In 1940 the directory lists J H Biddlecombe at 4126 Commercial Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists James H Biddlecombe there as the householder, a carpenter.

In 1940 the directory lists V A Biddlecombe at 2866 East 44th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Victor A Biddlecombe there as the householder, a sheet metal worker at Empire Sheet Metal. In 1940 the directory lists G W Biddlecombe at 2161 East 46th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists George W Biddlecombe there as the householder, a sheet metal worker.

In 1940 the directory lists W E Biddlecombe at 656 East 47th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists William E Biddlecombe there as the householder, a laborer at the City of Vancouver. In 1940 the directory lists E J Biddlecombe at 3521 Fleming Street. The 1940 name section lists Edmund J Biddlecombe there as the householder, a helper at North West Products.

In 1940 the directory lists G A Biddlecombe at 6173 Windsor Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists George A Biddlecombe there as the householder, with Edna E Biddlecombe, a saleswoman at Woolworths.

Today

3521 Fleming still has its building from before 1946, dated 1911 by the City's record; 5845 Chester (1979), 2866 East 44th (1991), 2161 East 46th (1973) and 6173 Windsor (1963) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 4126 Commercial and 656 East 47th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 16 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 Biddlecombes

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Biddlecombe 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.