A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Collinsons
In the city directories 1940 · 18 people at eight addresses
The directories print 18 people named Collinson 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: five Collinsons at 1424 Comox 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 Collinsons lived
- 1
1424 Comox Street
West End, 1940
- J E Collinson, a meat cutter at Safeway 1940
- Helen M Collinson 1940
- James F Collinson, a painter 1940
- John H Collinson, a painter 1940
- Richard Collinson 1940
Next door in 1940: J H Montague at 1416 and J H Shinnick at 1432. The block, door by door
- 2
641 East 26th Avenue
Riley Park, 1940
- F Collinson, a cleaner at the CPR 1940
Next door in 1940: S Bond at 631 and S Thompson at 649. The block, door by door
- 3
453 East 45th Avenue
Sunset, 1940
- Mrs M E Collinson, widow of A J 1940
- Adelaide E Collinson, a helper for Mrs D R Ellis 1940
- Mary J Collinson, who worked for the BC Telephone 1940
Next door in 1940: J W Jones at 449 and J A Grant at 457. The block, door by door
- 4
1177 Nanton Avenue
Shaughnessy, 1940
- Christina M Collinson, widow of G J 1940
Next door in 1940: S Goldbloom at 1163 and E E W Rhodes at 1191. The block, door by door
- 5
1111 Seymour Street
Downtown, 1940
- Mrs Eleanor Collinson, a maid at the Devonshire Hotel 1940
Next door in 1940: Lunch Alex at 1105 and Intl Harvester Co at 1135. The block, door by door
- 6
1270 West 11th Avenue
Fairview, 1940
- Miss J Collinson 1940
- Jean Collinson 1940
- Sybil E Collinson, a stenographer at Yorkshire & Pacific Securities 1940
Next door in 1940: “Orientals” at 1264 and Mrs M E Harris at 1284. The block, door by door
- 7
945 West 13th Avenue
Fairview, 1940
- J Bruce Collinson, a mechanic for F Deeley 1940
Next door in 1940: Miss E W Carter-Cotton at 935 and R J Barry at 955. The block, door by door
- 8
4824 Windsor Street
Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940
- C W Collinson, a caretaker at the Windsor United Church 1940
- Albert Collinson, a clerk 1940
- Mary E Collinson 1940
Next door in 1940: A Freeland at 4838. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for eleven of the 18: a painter (2), a caretaker, a cleaner, a clerk, an employee and a helper, among others. Two are widows, listed under their own names.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Fairview (2), Downtown, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Riley Park, Shaughnessy, Sunset 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 J E Collinson at 1424 Comox Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists John E Collinson there as the householder, a meat cutter at Safeway, with Helen M Collinson, James F Collinson, a painter, John H Collinson, a painter, and Richard Collinson. In 1940 the directory lists F Collinson at 641 East 26th Avenue; 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 Frank Collinson there as the householder, a cleaner at the CPR.
In 1940 the directory lists Mrs M E Collinson at 453 East 45th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Mary E Collinson there as the householder, widow of A J, with Adelaide E Collinson, a helper for Mrs D R Ellis, and Mary J Collinson, who worked for the BC Telephone. The 1940 name section lists Christina M Collinson at 1177 Nanton Avenue, widow of G J. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Eleanor Collinson at 1111 Seymour Street, a maid at the Devonshire Hotel.
In 1940 the directory lists Miss J Collinson at 1270 West 11th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Jean Collinson there as the householder, with Sybil E Collinson, a stenographer at Yorkshire & Pacific Securities. The 1940 name section lists J Bruce Collinson at 945 West 13th Avenue, a mechanic for F Deeley.
C W Collinson is listed at 4824 Windsor Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Charles W Collinson there as the householder, a caretaker at the Windsor United Church, with Charles Collinson, a poultryman, Albert Collinson, a clerk, and Mary E Collinson.
Today
1270 West 11th and 4824 Windsor still have their buildings from before 1946; 1424 Comox (1976), 641 East 26th (1958), 453 East 45th (1988), 1177 Nanton (1990) and 1111 Seymour (2017) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 945 West 13th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 23 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Collinson J E1424 Comox, p. 35
- Collinson Helen M1424 Comox, p. 120
- Collinson Jas F pntr1424 Comox, p. 120
- Collinson John E meat ctr Safeway1424 Comox, p. 120
- Collinson John H pntr1424 Comox, p. 120
- Collinson Richd1424 Comox, p. 120
- *Collinson F641 East 26th, p. 240
- Collinson Frank clnr CPR641 East 26th, p. 120
- *Collinson Mrs M E453 East 45th, p. 261
- Collinson Adelaide E hlpr Mrs D R Ellis453 East 45th, p. 120
- Collinson Mary E wid A J453 East 45th, p. 120
- Collinson Mary J emp BC Tel453 East 45th, p. 120
- Collinson Christina M wid G J1177 Nanton, p. 120
- Collinson Mrs Eleanor maid Devonshire Hotel1111 Seymour, p. 120
- Collinson Miss J1270 West 11th, p. 203
- Collinson Jean1270 West 11th, p. 120
- Collinson Sybil E sten Yorkshire & Pac Secur1270 West 11th, p. 120
- Collinson J Bruce mech F Deeley945 West 13th, p. 120
- *Collinson C W4824 Windsor, p. 169
- Collinson Albt clk4824 Windsor, p. 120
- Collinson Chas pltymn4824 Windsor, p. 120
- Collinson Chas W caretkr Windsor Un Ch4824 Windsor, p. 120
- Collinson Mary E4824 Windsor, p. 120
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Collinsons
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Collinson 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.
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.