Vancouver / Names / C / Cobban

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Cobbans

In the city directories 1940 · four people at three addresses

The directories print four people named Cobban at three addresses in 1940 in three 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 Cobbans 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

    4794 Fraser Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • A Cobban, a blacksmith 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E Brown at 4786. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    5830 Hudson Street

    Oakridge, 1940

    • Jean Cobban, a maid for G W Shipp 1940

    Next door in 1940: D Mare at 5810 and S W Neill at 5850. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2025 Venables Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • T Cobban, a driver at Central Transfer 1940
    • Elizabeth Cobban, a waitress at Spencer's 1940

    Next door in 1940: C Hitchmough at 2017 and L E Good at 2029. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for all four: a blacksmith, a driver, a maid and a waitress.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland, Kensington-Cedar Cottage and Oakridge. 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 A Cobban at 4794 Fraser Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Allan Cobban there as the householder, a blacksmith. The 1940 name section lists Jean Cobban at 5830 Hudson Street, a maid for G W Shipp.

T Cobban is listed at 2025 Venables Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Thomas Cobban there as the householder, a driver at Central Transfer, with Elizabeth Cobban, a waitress at Spencer's.

Today

4794 Fraser and 2025 Venables still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 5830 Hudson, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 6 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 Cobbans

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Cobban 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.