Vancouver / Names / G / Girling

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Girlings

In the city directories 1940 · twelve people at eight addresses

The directories print twelve people named Girling at eight 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 Girlings at 2953 West 35th 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 Girlings lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. One address isn't on today's map, so it has no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    5818 Alma Street

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • R C Girling, a cost accountant at Canadian Canners 1940

    Next door in 1940: T C Little at 5806 and Rev A Thomson at 5830. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1718 East 35th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • R W Girling, retired 1940
    • Betty Girling, a saleswoman at Woodward's 1940

    Next door in 1940: H Mackie at 1712 and J Meek at 1726. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1586 East 3rd Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Reginald J Girling, on active service 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Pratt at 1580. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2132 East 40th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • W Alan Girling, on active service 1940

    Next door in 1940: J S Finlayson at 2120 and J S Morton at 2142. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1717 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • William Girling, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: C A Coveney at 1713 and W Fieldhouse at 1729. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    4283 West 12th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • S Girling, a machinist at BC Motor Transportation 1940

    Next door in 1940: G P Findlay at 4277 and B F Piddington at 4287. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    911 West 21st Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • F B Girling, a timber cruiser for P L Lyford 1940
    • Freda M Girling, a stenographer for London Life 1940

    Next door in 1940: P Wise at 905 and C Woodburn at 917. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2953 West 35th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • R H L Girling, a tutor 1940
    • A M Louise Girling, a school teacher 1940
    • Joan S L Girling, a bookkeeper 1940

    Next door in 1940: E J Marshall at 2947 and J Bailey at 2965. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for ten of the twelve: an on active service (2), a bookkeeper, a cost accountant, a machinist, a saleswoman and a school teacher, among others.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Dunbar-Southlands (2), Kensington-Cedar Cottage (2), Grandview-Woodland, South Cambie, 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

In 1940 the directory lists R C Girling at 5818 Alma 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, where each person's work is printed, lists Richard C Girling there as the householder, a cost accountant at Canadian Canners. In 1940 the directory lists R W Girling at 1718 East 35th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Reginald W Girling there as the householder, retired, with Betty Girling, a saleswoman at Woodward's.

The 1940 name section lists Reginald J Girling at 1586 East 3rd Avenue, on active service. The 1940 name section lists W Alan Girling at 2132 East 40th Avenue as the householder, on active service. The 1940 name section lists William Girling at 1717 Nelson Street, retired.

S Girling is listed at 4283 West 12th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Stan Girling there as the householder, a machinist at BC Motor Transportation. F B Girling is listed at 911 West 21st Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Frederick B Girling there as the householder, a timber cruiser for P L Lyford, with Freda M Girling, a stenographer for London Life.

R H L Girling is listed at 2953 West 35th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Richard H L Girling there as the householder, a tutor, with A M Louise Girling, a school teacher, and Joan S L Girling, a bookkeeper.

Today

5818 Alma, 1718 East 35th, 2132 East 40th, 4283 West 12th, 911 West 21st and 2953 West 35th still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 1586 East 3rd and 1717 Nelson, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 17 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 Girlings

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Girling 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.