Vancouver / Names / B / Blackwell

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Blackwells

In the city directories 1940 · 17 people at 14 addresses

The directories print 17 people named Blackwell at 14 addresses in 1940 in ten 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 Blackwells at 1419 Harwood 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 Blackwells lived

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

    1051 Beach Avenue

    West End, 1940

    • William H Blackwell, an oiler at R & H Sawmill 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs G Taggart at 1045 and R Reynolds at 1053. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    5050 Cypress Street

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • Mrs M C Blackwell 1940

    Next door in 1940: H F Puder at 5036 and W A Jacklin at 5058. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    557 East 56th Avenue

    Sunset, 1940

    • R J H Blackwell, an engineer at the CPR 1940

    Next door in 1940: J A Byers at 549 and J H Foster at 571. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3123 East Georgia Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • R Blackwell, a labeller at Well's Ltd 1940

    Next door in 1940: F J Hammond at 3119 and Mrs E J Kennedy at 3125. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1419 Harwood Street

    West End, 1940

    • E G Blackwell, a manufacturers agent 1940
    • Betty Blackwell 1940
    • Robert G Blackwell 1940

    Next door in 1940: R M Wilson at 1433. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    918 Keefer Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • W Blackwell 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Ely at 912 and A B Bouchie at 920. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    889 Seymour Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Mary Blackwell 1940

    Next door in 1940: Roper's June B C School of Dancing at 887. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    3022 Victoria Drive

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • George M Blackwell, a manager at Reliable Taxi 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss M McLennan at 3030. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    3548 West 12th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • H A Blackwell, a fireman at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Flay at 3540 and R C McKay at 3556. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    344 West 14th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Mildred Blackwell 1940
    • Muriel Blackwell, a laundress at Nelsons Laundries 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M A Lawrence at 334 and M Lipson at 354. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    652 West 18th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • A S Blackwell, on active service 1940

    Next door in 1940: D Soutar at 650 and Mrs J M Beaton at 654. The block, door by door

  12. 12

    2345 West 5th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Blackwell, a widow 1940

    Next door in 1940: Dr A W McCordick at 2335 and Miss H L B Bickerton at 2355. The block, door by door

  13. 13

    1040 West Georgia Street

    West End, 1940

    • John L Blackwell, a manager for Alliance Trading 1940

    Next door in 1940: McDermott Motors Ltd at 1018 and Begg Motor Co Ltd (used cars) at 1056. The block, door by door

  14. 14

    837 West Hastings Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • E G Blackwell, a manufacturers agent 1940

    Next door in 1940: V E K Weldie at 833. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for nine of the 17: a manager (2), an engineer, a fireman, a labeller, a laundress and a manufacturers agent, among others. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (3), Downtown (2), Kitsilano (2), Arbutus Ridge, Hastings-Sunrise, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Mount Pleasant, South Cambie, Strathcona and Sunset. 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 William H Blackwell at 1051 Beach Avenue, an oiler at R & H Sawmill. Mrs M C Blackwell is listed at 5050 Cypress 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 Maud C Blackwell there as the householder.

R J H Blackwell is listed at 557 East 56th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Robert J H Blackwell there as the householder, an engineer at the CPR. R Blackwell is listed at 3123 East Georgia Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Reginald Blackwell there as the householder, a labeller at Well's Ltd.

E G Blackwell is listed at 1419 Harwood Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Edward G Blackwell there as the householder, a manufacturers agent, with Betty Blackwell and Robert G Blackwell. W Blackwell is listed at 918 Keefer Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Mary Blackwell at 889 Seymour Street.

The 1940 name section lists George M Blackwell at 3022 Victoria Drive, a manager at Reliable Taxi. In 1940 the directory lists H A Blackwell at 3548 West 12th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Henry A Blackwell there as the householder, a fireman at the City of Vancouver. The 1940 name section lists Mildred Blackwell at 344 West 14th Avenue, with Muriel Blackwell, a laundress at Nelsons Laundries.

A S Blackwell is listed at 652 West 18th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Arthur S Blackwell there as the householder, on active service. The 1940 name section lists Blackwell at 2345 West 5th Avenue, a widow. The 1940 name section lists John L Blackwell at 1040 West Georgia Street, a manager for Alliance Trading.

E G Blackwell, a manufacturers agent, is listed at 837 West Hastings Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists E. G. Blackwell there.

Today

557 East 56th, 3022 Victoria Drive and 3548 West 12th still have their buildings from before 1946; 3123 East Georgia (1987), 1419 Harwood (1959), 652 West 18th (1997), 2345 West 5th (1968), 1040 West Georgia (1985) and 837 West Hastings (1998) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1051 Beach, 5050 Cypress, 918 Keefer, 889 Seymour and 344 West 14th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 24 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 Blackwells

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Blackwell 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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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.