Vancouver / Names / B / Bowles

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Bowleses

In the city directories 1940 · 14 people at nine addresses

The directories print 14 people named Bowles at nine addresses in 1940 in six 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 Bowleses at 2543 West 45th 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 Bowleses 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

    3637 Blenheim Street

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • Eileen Bowles, a stenographer at the CBC 1940

    Next door in 1940: G R Johnston at 3611 and Miss K M Bateman at 3661. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    5540 Fleming Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • Mrs M W Bowles, widow of C L 1940
    • Gloria I Bowles, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: C L Dodd at 5532 and A M Urie at 5558. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2273 Graveley Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • F A Bowles, a pressman at the Sun 1940

    Next door in 1940: F V Willis at 2265 and C F Campbell at 2281. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3314 Kingsway

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • M M Bowles, a broommaker at Western Crown Manufacturing 1940
    • Mrs Helen G Bowles, proprietor of the Magazine Exchange 1940

    Next door in 1940: Carleton Barber Shop at 3310 and Rex Shoe Repairs at 3316. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1976 West 13th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Allen R Bowles, a roofer at Western Steel Products 1940

    Next door in 1940: H H MacKenzie at 1966 and J E Black at 1986. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    3775 West 29th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • Arthur J Bowles, a cleaner at the Canadian Government 1940

    Next door in 1940: A McLean at 3745. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    2543 West 45th Avenue

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • Miss H Bowles 1940
    • Hilda Bowles 1940
    • Julia A Bowles, widow of G H A 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A H Davy at 2531 and J Munro at 2555. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2148 West 48th Avenue

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • A S Bowles, a school principal 1940
    • Annie M Bowles, a school teacher 1940

    Next door in 1940: G E Frostrup at 2136 and W J Moffatt at 2158. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    1011 Woodland Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Mrs L Bowles, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: T McIlrath at 1019. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for eight of the 14: a broommaker, a cleaner, a pressman, a proprietor, a roofer and a school principal, among others. Two of them worked for Vancouver City. Three are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Dunbar-Southlands (2), Grandview-Woodland (2), Kerrisdale (2), Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kitsilano and Renfrew-Collingwood. 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 Eileen Bowles at 3637 Blenheim Street, a stenographer at the CBC. Mrs M W Bowles is listed at 5540 Fleming 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 Margaret W Bowles there as the householder, widow of C L, with Gloria I Bowles, a student.

F A Bowles is listed at 2273 Graveley Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Frederick A Bowles there as the householder, a pressman at the Sun. M M Bowles is listed at 3314 Kingsway in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Martin M Bowles there as the householder, a broommaker at Western Crown Manufacturing, with Mrs Helen G Bowles, proprietor of the Magazine Exchange.

The 1940 name section lists Allen R Bowles at 1976 West 13th Avenue, a roofer at Western Steel Products. The 1940 name section lists Arthur J Bowles at 3775 West 29th Avenue, a cleaner at the Canadian Government. Miss H Bowles is listed at 2543 West 45th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Hilda Bowles there as the householder, with Julia A Bowles, widow of G H A.

A S Bowles is listed at 2148 West 48th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Allan S Bowles there as the householder, a school principal, with Annie M Bowles, a school teacher. Mrs L Bowles is listed at 1011 Woodland Drive in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Lucinda Bowles there as the householder, widow of J.

Today

3637 Blenheim, 5540 Fleming, 2273 Graveley and 2148 West 48th still have their buildings from before 1946; 1976 West 13th (1985) and 2543 West 45th (2014) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 3314 Kingsway, 3775 West 29th and 1011 Woodland Drive, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 19 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 Bowleses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Bowles 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.