A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Giffins
In the city directories 1940 · five people at two addresses
The directories print five people named Giffin at two addresses in 1940 in two of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: four Giffins at 2554 Vine 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 Giffins lived
- 1
575 East 49th Avenue
Sunset, 1940
- Byron Giffin, a helper at Browne's Bakery 1940
Next door in 1940: Miss S Neufeld at 555 and J Goddard at 595. The block, door by door
- 2
2554 Vine Street
Kitsilano, 1940
- Miss L H Giffin 1940
- Lillian H Giffin, a branch manager for Maison Henri 1940
- Margaret J Giffin, widow of D J 1940
- William H Giffin 1940
Next door in 1940: W Harper at 2574. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for two of the five: a branch manager and a helper. One is a widow, listed under her own name.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Kitsilano 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
The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Byron Giffin at 575 East 49th Avenue, a helper at Browne's Bakery. Miss L H Giffin is listed at 2554 Vine Street in 1940; 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 Lillian H Giffin there as the householder, a branch manager for Maison Henri, with Margaret J Giffin, widow of D J, and William H Giffin.
Today
575 East 49th and 2554 Vine still have their buildings from before 1946.
Every line as printed
All 5 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Giffin Byron hlpr Browne's Bky575 East 49th, p. 222
- *Giffin Miss L H2554 Vine, p. 163
- Giffin Lillian H br mgr Maison Henri2554 Vine, p. 222
- Giffin Margt J wid D J slswm HBC2554 Vine, p. 222
- Giffin Wm H2554 Vine, p. 222
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
The book of the Giffins
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Giffin 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 G. Want a name removed? Tell us.