Vancouver / Names / B / Bowler

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Bowlers

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at six addresses

The directories print seven people named Bowler at six addresses in 1940 in five 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 Bowlers 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

    1019 Bute Street

    West End, 1940

    • H S Bowler, proprietor of Chesterfield Shop 1940

    Next door in 1940: strathmore lodge at 1065. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    7125 Duff Street

    Victoria-Fraserview, 1940

    • Lloyd E Bowler, a fireman at the Union Steamship Company 1940
  3. 3

    911 East 39th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • J R Bowler, a millwright at the Burrard Shipyard & Engineering Works 1940
    • Grace Bowler 1940

    Next door in 1940: D Campbell at 919. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    889 Seymour Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • G Bowler, proprietor of the Commodore Rooms 1940

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

  5. 5

    6591 Victoria Drive

    Victoria-Fraserview, 1940

    • E S Bowler, a millworker at Evans Products 1940

    Next door in 1940: S Hooper at 6525. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    2985 West 2nd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mabel Bowler, widow of J J 1940

    Next door in 1940: F T Spence at 2991. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the seven: a proprietor (2), a fireman, a millworker and a millwright. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Victoria-Fraserview (2), Downtown, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kitsilano and West End. 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 H S Bowler at 1019 Bute Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Harold S Bowler there as the householder, proprietor of Chesterfield Shop. The 1940 name section lists Lloyd E Bowler at 7125 Duff Street, a fireman at the Union Steamship Company.

J R Bowler is listed at 911 East 39th 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 John R Bowler there as the householder, a millwright at the Burrard Shipyard & Engineering Works, with Grace Bowler. G Bowler is listed at 889 Seymour Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Gordon Bowler there as the householder, proprietor of the Commodore Rooms.

E S Bowler is listed at 6591 Victoria Drive in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Earl S Bowler there as the householder, a millworker at Evans Products. The 1940 name section lists Mabel Bowler at 2985 West 2nd Avenue, widow of J J.

Today

1019 Bute still has its building from before 1946, dated 1908 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 7125 Duff, 911 East 39th, 889 Seymour, 6591 Victoria Drive and 2985 West 2nd, 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, street section

The book of the Bowlers

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Bowler 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.