A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Gomms
In the city directories 1940 · five people at four addresses
The directories print five people named Gomm 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 Gomms lived
- 1
790 East 57th Avenue
Sunset, 1940
- Celia Gomm, a housekeeper for W J Bryan 1940
Next door in 1940: H G Smith at 784 and H Renshaw at 796. The block, door by door
- 2
- 3
875 West 60th Avenue
Marpole, 1940
- Mrs M Gomm, widow of E 1940
- Irene M Gomm, a saleswoman at Canadian Wind Bakeries 1940
Next door in 1940: W Walker at 869 and M Conaboy at 889. The block, door by door
- 4
3336 Willow Street
South Cambie, 1940
- T Gomm, an orderly at the Shaughnessy Hospital Canadian Government 1940
What they did
The name section prints a trade for three of the five: a housekeeper, an orderly and a saleswoman. One is a widow, listed under her own name.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Marpole, Mount Pleasant, South Cambie 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 Celia Gomm at 790 East 57th Avenue, a housekeeper for W J Bryan. The 1940 name section lists Albert B Gomm at 2647 Manitoba Street. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs M Gomm at 875 West 60th 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 Mary Gomm there as the householder, widow of E, with Irene M Gomm, a saleswoman at Canadian Wind Bakeries.
In 1940 the directory lists T Gomm at 3336 Willow Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Timothy Gomm there as the householder, an orderly at the Shaughnessy Hospital Canadian Government.
Today
2647 Manitoba and 3336 Willow still have their buildings from before 1946; 790 East 57th (1976) and 875 West 60th (2008) have newer buildings, by the City's record.
Every line as printed
All 7 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Gomm Celia hsekpr W J Bryan790 East 57th, p. 228
- Gomm Albt B2647 Manitoba, p. 228
- *Gomm Mrs M875 West 60th, p. 270
- Gomm Irene M slswm Can Wind Bkries875 West 60th, p. 228
- Gomm Mary wid E875 West 60th, p. 228
- *Gomm T3336 Willow, p. 168
- Gomm Timothy orderly Shaugh Hosp Can Govt3336 Willow, p. 228
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
The book of the Gomms
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Gomm 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.