Vancouver / Names / G / Gemmell

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Gemmells

In the city directories 1940 · 13 people at ten addresses

The directories print 13 people named Gemmell at ten addresses in 1940 in six 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 Gemmells at 2155 Graveley 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 Gemmells 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

    2238 Adanac Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • George Gemmell, a trucker at American Can 1940

    Next door in 1940: F J Southern at 2228 and J H Williams at 2248. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2237 Commercial Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • R W Gemmell 1940

    Next door in 1940: A C Wong at 2235 and W S McBride at 2239. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2047 Creelman Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • J G Gemmell, a laborer 1940
    • Mavis C Gemmell, a stenographer 1940

    Next door in 1940: F J Yeandle at 2039 and H McDowall at 2057. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    645 East 12th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • W Gemmell, a plumber at the Burrard Dry Dock 1940

    Next door in 1940: Rev C A Gutensohn at 637 and F Townley at 647. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    275 East 16th Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • R Gemmell, a carpenter 1940

    Next door in 1940: A J Kennedy at 259 and D Robertson at 285. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    2103 East 33rd Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • J Gemmell, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: C Jones at 2125. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    757 East 38th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • Elizabeth L Gemell, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: S H Artus at 749 and Mrs E K O'Connor at 765. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2155 Graveley Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Mrs G R Gemmell, widow of J 1940
    • Ina H Gemmell, a stenographer at Slade & Stewart 1940
    • Jack L Gemmell, a laborer assistant at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Cardamone at 2149 and Mrs C E Kaneen at 2163. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    1266 Haro Street

    West End, 1940

    • Dorothy Gemmell 1940

    Next door in 1940: G L Southwell at 1246 and Miss R Tanner at 1280. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    3331 Point Grey Road

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • R H G Gemmell, an accountant 1940

    Next door in 1940: G K Morrison at 3321 and J Aitken at 3357. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for nine of the 13: a stenographer (2), an accountant, a carpenter, a laborer, a laborer assistant and a motorman, among others. Two of them worked for BC Electric Railway. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland (3), Kensington-Cedar Cottage (2), Kitsilano (2), Mount Pleasant, Riley Park 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists George Gemmell at 2238 Adanac Street, a trucker at American Can. R W Gemmell is listed at 2237 Commercial Drive in 1940. In 1940 the directory lists J G Gemmell at 2047 Creelman 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 lists John G Gemmell there as the householder, a painter, with John G Gemmell Jr, a laborer, and Mavis C Gemmell, a stenographer.

In 1940 the directory lists W Gemmell at 645 East 12th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists William Gemmell there as the householder, a plumber at the Burrard Dry Dock. In 1940 the directory lists R Gemmell at 275 East 16th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Robert Gemmell there as the householder, a carpenter.

In 1940 the directory lists J Gemmell at 2103 East 33rd Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Joseph Gemmell there as the householder, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway. The 1940 name section lists Elizabeth L Gemell at 757 East 38th Avenue, widow of J.

Mrs G R Gemmell is listed at 2155 Graveley Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Georgina R Gemmell there as the householder, widow of J, with Ina H Gemmell, a stenographer at Slade & Stewart, and Jack L Gemmell, a laborer assistant at the BC Electric Railway. The 1940 name section lists Dorothy Gemmell at 1266 Haro Street.

In 1940 the directory lists R H G Gemmell at 3331 Point Grey Road; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Robert H G Gemmell there as the householder, an accountant.

Today

2238 Adanac, 2047 Creelman, 645 East 12th, 757 East 38th and 2155 Graveley still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 2237 Commercial Drive, 275 East 16th, 2103 East 33rd, 1266 Haro and 3331 Point Grey Road, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 20 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Gemmells

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Gemmell 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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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 G. Want a name removed? Tell us.