Vancouver / Names / B / Biggs

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Biggses

In the city directories 1940 · ten people at seven addresses

The directories print ten people named Biggs 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. The most under one roof: three Biggses at 2816 Franklin in 1940.

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 Biggses 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

    2816 Franklin Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • E J Biggs, a painter 1940
    • Clif N Biggs, a warehouseman 1940
    • Leonard W Biggs, a painter 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Wilson at 2806 and P Begbie at 2828. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    49 Kamloops Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • Mrs Minnie Biggs 1940

    Next door in 1940: E Woods at 41. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2217 Triumph Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Hewitt J Biggs, proprietor of Imperial Manufacturers 1940

    Next door in 1940: A E Nash at 2213 and S Seaholm at 2225. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2837 Waterloo Street

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • M P Biggs, on active service 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Belyea at 2823 and F Duthie at 2853. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    2979 West 43rd Avenue

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • Rachel C H Biggs, a clerk at the Northern Electric 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs F E Newsom at 2967 and A S Appleby at 2991. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    2126 West 6th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • J Biggs, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs J Howard at 2116 and A McS Reid at 2134. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    2815 West 6th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • T E Biggs, a millwright 1940
    • J Biggs, a warehouseman for Kelly Douglas 1940

    Next door in 1940: J J Vrabek at 2809 and W Watt at 2819. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for seven of the ten: a warehouseman (2), a clerk, a millwright, an on active service, a painter and a proprietor.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (3), Hastings-Sunrise (2), Grandview-Woodland and Kerrisdale. 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 E J Biggs at 2816 Franklin 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 Edwin J Biggs there as the householder, a painter, with Clif N Biggs, a warehouseman, and Leonard W Biggs, a painter. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Minnie Biggs at 49 Kamloops Street. The 1940 name section lists Hewitt J Biggs at 2217 Triumph Street, proprietor of Imperial Manufacturers.

In 1940 the directory lists M P Biggs at 2837 Waterloo Street. The 1940 name section lists Malcolm P Biggs there as the householder, on active service. The 1940 name section lists Rachel C H Biggs at 2979 West 43rd Avenue, a clerk at the Northern Electric.

J Biggs is listed at 2126 West 6th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Joseph Biggs there as the householder, retired. T E Biggs is listed at 2815 West 6th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Trevor E Biggs there as the householder, a millwright, with J Biggs, a warehouseman for Kelly Douglas.

Today

49 Kamloops, 2837 Waterloo, 2979 West 43rd and 2815 West 6th still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 2816 Franklin, 2217 Triumph and 2126 West 6th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 14 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 Biggses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Biggs 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.

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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.