Vancouver / Names / B / British

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Britishes

In the city directories 1940 · five people at five addresses

The directories print five people named British at five addresses in 1940 in two 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 Britishes 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

    500 Beatty Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • United Press British 1940

    Next door in 1940: W F Colston at 516. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    413 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Israel World Fed British 1940

    Next door in 1940: Ziegler's Chocolate Shops at 411 and Linforth's Ltd at 417. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1005 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Remnants British, in dry goods 1940

    Next door in 1940: Pac Drug Stores at 1003 and A V Merry at 1007. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    207 West Hastings Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Israel Prayer League British 1940

    Next door in 1940: Clothes Shops Natl at 217. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    510 West Hastings Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Columbia Financial Times British 1940

    Next door in 1940: Can Bk of Commerce at 508 and Ziegler's Coffee Shop at 512. The block, door by door

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (4) 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists United Press British at 500 Beatty Street. Israel World Fed British is listed at 413 Granville Street in 1940. In 1940 the directory lists Remnants British, in dry goods, at 1005 Robson Street. Israel Prayer League British is listed at 207 West Hastings Street in 1940.

The 1940 name section lists Columbia Financial Times British at 510 West Hastings Street.

Today

207 West Hastings and 510 West Hastings still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 500 Beatty, 413 Granville and 1005 Robson, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 5 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 Britishes

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the British 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.