A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Durells
In the city directories 1940 · four people at three addresses
The directories print four people named Durell at three addresses in 1940 in three of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Durrell. 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 Durells lived
- 1
5530 Balaclava Street
Dunbar-Southlands, 1940
- Miss L C Durell 1940
- Lily C Durell, proprietor of Perritot Kindergarten 1940
Next door in 1940: F Erridge at 5570. The block, door by door
- 2
1643 Haro Street
West End, 1940
- Kath Durrell 1940
Next door in 1940: F H Miles at 1637 and Mrs M E Palmer at 1649. The block, door by door
- 3
429 West Pender Street
Downtown, 1940
- E Durrell, a conductor at the CNR 1940
Next door in 1940: New York Hat Wks at 427. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for two of the four: a conductor and a proprietor.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Downtown, Dunbar-Southlands 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 Miss L C Durell at 5530 Balaclava 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 Lily C Durell there as the householder, proprietor of Perritot Kindergarten. The 1940 name section lists Kath Durrell at 1643 Haro Street.
E Durrell is listed at 429 West Pender Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Ernest Durrell there as the householder, a conductor at the CNR.
Today
429 West Pender still has its building from before 1946, dated 1909 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 5530 Balaclava and 1643 Haro, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 5 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- *Durell Miss L C5530 Balaclava, p. 7
- Durell Lily C prop Perritot Kindergarten5530 Balaclava, p. 174
- Durrell Kath1643 Haro, p. 174
- Durrell E429 West Pender, p. 130
- Durrell Ernest cond CNR429 West Pender, p. 174
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Durells
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Durell 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 D. Want a name removed? Tell us.