A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Gillans
In the city directories 1940 · four people at four addresses
The directories print four people named Gillan 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.
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 Gillans lived
- 1
742 Bidwell Street
West End, 1940
- P W Gillan, an orderly at the Vancouver General Hospital 1940
Next door in 1940: Miss W A Curtis at 748. The block, door by door
- 2
110 Water Street
Downtown, 1940
- A Gillan 1940
Next door in 1940: E Whitaker at 108 and Acme Plmbg & Htg at 114. The block, door by door
- 3
4127 West 12th Avenue
West Point Grey, 1940
- J Gillan, a purser 1940
Next door in 1940: W T Pearson at 4123 and A P Carter at 4137. The block, door by door
- 4
2750 West 2nd Avenue
Kitsilano, 1940
- J Gillan, a clerk at the CNR 1940
Next door in 1940: F G Bell at 2758. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for three of the four: a clerk, an orderly and a purser.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Downtown, Kitsilano, West End and West Point Grey. 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 P W Gillan at 742 Bidwell Street, an orderly at the Vancouver General Hospital. The 1940 name section lists A Gillan at 110 Water Street. In 1940 the directory lists J Gillan at 4127 West 12th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists James Gillan there as the householder, a purser.
In 1940 the directory lists J Gillan at 2750 West 2nd Avenue. The 1940 name section lists James Gillan there as the householder, a foreman at CN Express, with John Gillan, a clerk at the CNR.
Today
110 Water and 4127 West 12th still have their buildings from before 1946, 110 Water on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 2750 West 2nd (1991) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 742 Bidwell, so that building is probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 7 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Gillan P W orderly Van Genl Hosp742 Bidwell, p. 223
- Gillan A110 Water, p. 223
- Gillan J4127 West 12th, p. 209
- Gillan Jas purser4127 West 12th, p. 223
- Gillan J2750 West 2nd, p. 176
- Gillan Jas formn CN Exp2750 West 2nd, p. 223
- Gillan John clk CNR2750 West 2nd, p. 223
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
The book of the Gillans
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Gillan 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.