Vancouver / Names / G / Gilson

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Gilsons

In the city directories 1940 · five people at four addresses

The directories print five people named Gilson at four addresses in 1940 in three of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Gillson. 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 Gilsons 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

    1561 East 4th Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • L M Gilson, a mechanic 1940

    Next door in 1940: J R Langdale at 1551 and F Wooding at 1575. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2511 Kitchener Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • J W Gilson, a school teacher 1940
    • Katharine Gillson, widow of H H 1940

    Next door in 1940: T Anderson at 2521. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    8192 Montcalm Street

    Marpole, 1940

    • G Gilson, a laborer 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs J Van Iderstine at 8180. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1544 West 68th Avenue

    Marpole, 1940

    • H H Gillson, proprietor of the Purves Service Station 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Stitsuk at 1512 and S J Morrey at 1550. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the five: a laborer, a mechanic, a proprietor and a school teacher. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Marpole (2), Grandview-Woodland and Hastings-Sunrise. 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 L M Gilson at 1561 East 4th Avenue. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Leslie M Gilson there as the householder, a mechanic. In 1940 the directory lists J W Gilson at 2511 Kitchener Street. The 1940 name section lists John W Gillson there as the householder, a school teacher, with Katharine Gillson, widow of H H.

In 1940 the directory lists G Gilson at 8192 Montcalm 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 lists George Gilson there as the householder, a laborer. In 1940 the directory lists H H Gillson at 1544 West 68th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Harold H Gillson there as the householder, proprietor of the Purves Service Station.

Today

2511 Kitchener and 8192 Montcalm still have their buildings from before 1946; 1544 West 68th (1981) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1561 East 4th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 9 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 Gilsons

Every directory, as one book

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