Vancouver / Names / C / Compton

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Comptons

In the city directories 1940 · five people at five addresses

The directories print five people named Compton at five addresses in 1940 in five 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 Comptons 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

    884 Bute Street

    West End, 1940

    • T Compton 1940

    Next door in 1940: Bute Lodge at 836 and Mrs A Dann at 894. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    6288 Marguerite Street

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • Winnifred K Compton, a maid for A B Perry 1940

    Next door in 1940: J J Kenny at 6262. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    4581 Nanaimo Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • J S Compton, a checker 1940

    Next door in 1940: A McNeil at 4573. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1310 West 13th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • C N Compton, a division manager at Investors Synd 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E Evans at 1336. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1896 West 5th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • P E Compton, a postman 1940

    Next door in 1940: D Shiels at 1890. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the five: a checker, a division manager, a maid and a postman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kerrisdale, Kitsilano 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 T Compton at 884 Bute Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Thomas Compton there as the householder. The 1940 name section lists Winnifred K Compton at 6288 Marguerite Street, a maid for A B Perry.

J S Compton is listed at 4581 Nanaimo 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 Joseph S Compton there as the householder, a checker. C N Compton is listed at 1310 West 13th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Clyde N Compton there as the householder, a division manager at Investors Synd.

P E Compton is listed at 1896 West 5th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Philip E Compton there as the householder, a postman.

Today

884 Bute, 6288 Marguerite, 4581 Nanaimo and 1310 West 13th still have their buildings from before 1946, 884 Bute and 1310 West 13th on the Vancouver Heritage Register; the City no longer lists 1896 West 5th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 9 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 Comptons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Compton 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 C. Want a name removed? Tell us.