Vancouver / Names / F / Fretwell

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Fretwells

In the city directories 1940 · eight people at four addresses

The directories print eight people named Fretwell 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 Fretwells at 773 East 51st 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 Fretwells 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

    773 East 51st Avenue

    Sunset, 1940

    • W A Fretwell, a salesman 1940
    • Edward A Fretwell, a green chainman at Canadian White Pine 1940
    • Richard M Fretwell, a driver at Canada Packers 1940

    Next door in 1940: E Smith at 765 and Rev R E S Hunt at 785. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2532 East Georgia Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • G Fretwell, a logger 1940

    Next door in 1940: C Langley at 2530 and T A Harvey at 2534. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    4743 Elm Street

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • E Fretwell, retired 1940
    • Robert H Fretwell, a student at UBC 1940
    • Ruth E Fretwell 1940

    Next door in 1940: A M MacPherson at 4767. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3242 Marmion Avenue

    Killarney, 1940

    • C W M Fretwell, a woodworker 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs S A Mayall at 3254. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the eight: a driver, a green chainman, a logger, a salesman and a woodworker.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Arbutus Ridge, Hastings-Sunrise, Killarney and Sunset. 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 A Fretwell at 773 East 51st Avenue; 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 A Fretwell there as the householder, a salesman, with Edward A Fretwell, a green chainman at Canadian White Pine, and Richard M Fretwell, a driver at Canada Packers. In 1940 the directory lists G Fretwell at 2532 East Georgia Street. The 1940 name section lists Gordon Fretwell there as the householder, a logger.

In 1940 the directory lists E Fretwell at 4743 Elm Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Ernest Fretwell there as the householder, retired, with Robert H Fretwell, a student at UBC, and Ruth E Fretwell. In 1940 the directory lists C W M Fretwell at 3242 Marmion Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Clarence W M Fretwell there as the householder, a woodworker.

Today

773 East 51st still has its building from before 1946, dated 1913 by the City's record; 3242 Marmion (1962) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 2532 East Georgia and 4743 Elm, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 12 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 Fretwells

Every directory, as one book

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