Vancouver / Names / E / Elgar

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Elgars

In the city directories 1940 · five people at three addresses

The directories print five people named Elgar at three addresses in 1940 in three of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Elgear. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: three Elgars at 1448 Nelson 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 Elgars lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    6532 Cypress Street

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • R N Elgar, a salesman at the Canadian General Electric 1940

    Next door in 1940: A M Robb at 6520 and J H Roberts at 6544. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1448 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • L W Elgear, rooms to let 1940
    • Dellmear Elgear 1940
    • Harold C Elgear 1940

    Next door in 1940: C F Virgo at 1442 and clifton apts at 1460. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    3615 West 27th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • J R Elgar, a wireman at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: S Nash at 3625. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the five: a salesman and a wireman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Dunbar-Southlands, Kerrisdale 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 R N Elgar at 6532 Cypress 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 Rio N Elgar there as the householder, a salesman at the Canadian General Electric. In 1940 the directory lists L W Elgear, rooms to let, at 1448 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section lists Dellmear Elgear there, with Harold C Elgear.

In 1940 the directory lists J R Elgar at 3615 West 27th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists James R Elgar there as the householder, a wireman at the BC Electric Railway.

Today

6532 Cypress (1964) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1448 Nelson and 3615 West 27th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges
About 1915 Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges. Not at the house at 1448 Nelson: no archive photo of the 1400 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, Str P181.2. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 7 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 Elgars

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Elgar 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 E. Want a name removed? Tell us.