Vancouver / Names / C / Cosens

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Cosenses

In the city directories 1940 · twelve people at eight addresses

The directories print twelve people named Cosens at eight addresses in 1940 in five of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Cousens. 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 Cosenses at 3308 West 37th 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 Cosenses 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

    8731 French Street

    Marpole, 1940

    • A J Cosens, a driver for R M Grauer 1940

    Next door in 1940: E Hartley at 8719 and G Baldwin at 8755. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    7407 Granville Street

    Marpole, 1940

    • C E J Cosens, a laborer at Canadian Wood Pipe 1940

    Next door in 1940: C R Holman at 7425. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1040 Harwood Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs Margaret Coisens 1940

    Next door in 1940: A A Mynott at 1030 and T J Wellman at 1046. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    7989 Oak Street

    Marpole, 1940

    • J L Cosens, an engineer 1940

    Next door in 1940: G R Aitken at 7929. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    4363 West 11th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • E J Cosens, a sales engineer at Canadian Wood Pipe 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs H L Balfour at 4359 and Mrs M M Ross at 4377. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    3308 West 37th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • A Cosens, a president at Putnam, Cosens & Wright 1940
    • Miriam E Cosens, a nurse for Dr J E Harrison 1940
    • Phyllis M Cosens, a school teacher 1940
    • V Joyce Cosens, a stenographer at Canadian General Insurance 1940

    Next door in 1940: J G Kennedy at 3336. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    2290 West 4th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • H W Cousens, an upholsterer 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Warren at 2278. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2032 West 7th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mrs E E Cousens, widow of W 1940
    • Harold W Coisens, an upholsterer 1940

    Next door in 1940: F W Coleman at 2024 and J H Horton at 2038. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for nine of the twelve: a driver, an engineer, a laborer, a nurse, a president and a sales engineer, among others. Two of them worked for Canadian Wood Pipe. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Marpole (3), Kitsilano (2), Dunbar-Southlands, West End and West Point Grey. 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 J Cosens at 8731 French Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Alfred J Cosens there as the householder, a driver for R M Grauer. In 1940 the directory lists C E J Cosens at 7407 Granville 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 lists Charles E J Cosens there as the householder, a laborer at Canadian Wood Pipe.

The 1940 name section lists Mrs Margaret Coisens at 1040 Harwood Street. J L Cosens is listed at 7989 Oak Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists J Lloyd Cosens there as the householder, an engineer.

E J Cosens is listed at 4363 West 11th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Edward J Cosens there as the householder, a sales engineer at Canadian Wood Pipe. A Cosens is listed at 3308 West 37th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Arthur Cosens there as the householder, a president at Putnam, Cosens & Wright, with Miriam E Cosens, a nurse for Dr J E Harrison, Phyllis M Cosens, a school teacher, and V Joyce Cosens, a stenographer at Canadian General Insurance.

H W Cousens, an upholsterer, is listed at 2290 West 4th Avenue in 1940. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs E E Cousens at 2032 West 7th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Emily E Coisens there as the householder, widow of W, with Harold W Coisens, an upholsterer.

Today

4363 West 11th and 2290 West 4th still have their buildings from before 1946; 3308 West 37th (2019) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 8731 French, 7407 Granville, 1040 Harwood, 7989 Oak and 2032 West 7th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 18 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 Cosenses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Cosens 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.