Vancouver / Names / C / Cliff

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Cliffs

In the city directories 1940 · 14 people at eight addresses

The directories print 14 people named Cliff at eight addresses in 1940 in seven 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: four Cliffs at 1743 East 11th 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 Cliffs 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

    5584 Churchill Street

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • R L Cliff, a president at R L Cliff Ltd and C R S Investment 1940
    • Arnold B Cliff, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Bull at 5550. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1114 Davie Street

    West End, 1940

    • W M Cliff, a master mariner at M R Cliff & BC Mills Towing 1940

    Next door in 1940: J R MacDonald at 1110 and W H Branstrom at 1122. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1743 East 11th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • G C Cliff, a superintendent at M R Cliff & BC Mills Towing 1940
    • Don W Cliff, an engineer 1940
    • Doug C Cliff, a mate at H Cliff Towing 1940
    • Paul A Cliff 1940

    Next door in 1940: N Neery at 1737 and O Altenburger at 1749. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1858 East 8th Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Mrs N M Cliff 1940

    Next door in 1940: W A Richardson at 1854. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    3704 Quebec Street

    Riley Park, 1940

    • Mrs S Cliff, widow of A 1940
    • Doris Cliff, an operator at Family Service Laundry 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A E Craig at 3702 and N McKenzie at 3760. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1598 West 16th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • M R Cliff, a managing director at M R Cliff & BC Mills Towing 1940
  7. 7

    2536 West 4th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Cliff (no first name printed) 1940
    • Cliff (no first name printed) 1940

    Next door in 1940: rosedale (the) at 2526 and L R Ross at 2546. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    1214 West 7th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Walter Cliff, a gateman at the Vancouver Iron Works 1940

    Next door in 1940: J E Shoultz at 1202 and H J White at 1234. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for eight of the 14: an engineer, a gateman, a managing director, a master mariner, a mate and an operator, among others. Three of them worked for M R Cliff & BC Mills Towing. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview (2), Grandview-Woodland, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kitsilano, Riley Park, Shaughnessy 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 R L Cliff at 5584 Churchill 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 Ron L Cliff there as the householder, a president at R L Cliff Ltd and C R S Investment, with Arnold B Cliff, a student. In 1940 the directory lists W M Cliff at 1114 Davie Street. The 1940 name section lists Wilmot M Cliff there as the householder, a master mariner at M R Cliff & BC Mills Towing.

In 1940 the directory lists G C Cliff at 1743 East 11th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Guy C Cliff there as the householder, a superintendent at M R Cliff & BC Mills Towing, with Don W Cliff, an engineer, Doug C Cliff, a mate at H Cliff Towing, and Paul A Cliff. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs N M Cliff at 1858 East 8th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Nora M Cliff there as the householder.

In 1940 the directory lists Mrs S Cliff at 3704 Quebec Street. The 1940 name section lists Sarah Cliff there as the householder, widow of A, with Doris Cliff, an operator at Family Service Laundry. In 1940 the directory lists M R Cliff at 1598 West 16th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Murray R Cliff there as the householder, a managing director at M R Cliff & BC Mills Towing.

In 1940 the directory lists Cliff (no first name printed) at 2536 West 4th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Cliff (no first name printed) there as the householder. The 1940 name section lists Walter Cliff at 1214 West 7th Avenue, a gateman at the Vancouver Iron Works.

Today

3704 Quebec and 2536 West 4th still have their buildings from before 1946; 1743 East 11th (1977) and 1214 West 7th (1980) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 5584 Churchill, 1114 Davie, 1858 East 8th and 1598 West 16th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 20 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 Cliffs

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Cliff 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.

We're opening orders soon. Join the list to be first in line; we expect about $29 a family.

One email, when it's ready. We use your email for nothing else and never share it. Privacy

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 C. Want a name removed? Tell us.