Vancouver / Names / F / Free

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Frees

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at four addresses

The directories print seven people named Free at four addresses in 1940 in four 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: three Frees at 2803 Cambridge 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 Frees 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

    2803 Cambridge Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • W Free, a maintenanceman at Woodward's 1940
    • Norman S Free, a student 1940
    • Sid M Free 1940

    Next door in 1940: J N Pringle at 2807. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    4608 Dunbar Street

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • W W Free, a tea & coffee taster 1940
    • Betty M S Free 1940

    Next door in 1940: C L Floros at 4626. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    889 Seymour Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Edward Free 1940

    Next door in 1940: Roper's June B C School of Dancing at 887. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2386 West 2nd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • H H Free, a foreman at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: H E McConaghy at 2376 and T S Magee at 2396. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the seven: a foreman, a maintenanceman and a tea.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown, Dunbar-Southlands, Hastings-Sunrise and Kitsilano. 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 W Free at 2803 Cambridge 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 William Free there as the householder, a maintenanceman at Woodward's, with Norman S Free, a student, and Sid M Free. In 1940 the directory lists W W Free at 4608 Dunbar Street. The 1940 name section lists Wifld W Free there as the householder, a tea & coffee taster, with Betty M S Free.

The 1940 name section lists Edward Free at 889 Seymour Street. H H Free is listed at 2386 West 2nd Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Hampton H Free there as the householder, a foreman at the BC Electric Railway.

Today

2803 Cambridge still has its building from before 1946, dated 1930 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 4608 Dunbar, 889 Seymour and 2386 West 2nd, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 10 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 Frees

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Free 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 F. Want a name removed? Tell us.