A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Graysons
In the city directories 1940 · eight people at five addresses
The directories print eight people named Grayson at five 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. The most under one roof: three Graysons at 1430 Burrard 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 Graysons lived
- 1
1330 Arbutus Street
Kitsilano, 1940
- Mrs Marguerite Grayson 1940
Next door in 1940: Miss M G Wild at 1324 and G E Humby at 1338. The block, door by door
- 2
1430 Burrard Street
Downtown, 1940
- B Grayson, a commissionaire 1940
- Claude Grayson 1940
- William R Grayson, a machinist tender at Canada Roof Products 1940
Next door in 1940: G Hymes at 1434. The block, door by door
- 3
2728 Collingwood Street
Kitsilano, 1940
- A Grayson, a building contractor 1940
Next door in 1940: E Walters at 2716. The block, door by door
- 4
737 Gore Avenue
Strathcona, 1940
- Miss D Grayson 1940
- Dolly Grayson 1940
Next door in 1940: V Rogers at 751. The block, door by door
- 5
1562 William Street
Grandview-Woodland, 1940
- A C Grayson, a machinist at Vancouver Mill Machinery 1940
Next door in 1940: Mrs J Slater at 1556 and W Rutherford at 1582. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for four of the eight: a building contractor, a commissionaire, a machinist and a machinist tender.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Kitsilano (2), Downtown, Grandview-Woodland and Strathcona. 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 Mrs Marguerite Grayson at 1330 Arbutus Street. B Grayson is listed at 1430 Burrard Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Benjamin Grayson there as the householder, a commissionaire, with Claude Grayson, and William R Grayson, a machinist tender at Canada Roof Products.
A Grayson, a building contractor, is listed at 2728 Collingwood 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 Alfred Grayson there, a building contractor. Miss D Grayson is listed at 737 Gore Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Dolly Grayson there as the householder.
A C Grayson is listed at 1562 William Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Albert C Grayson there as the householder, a machinist at Vancouver Mill Machinery.
Today
1330 Arbutus (1998), 1430 Burrard (1946) and 2728 Collingwood (2006) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 737 Gore and 1562 William, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 11 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Grayson Mrs Marguerite1330 Arbutus, p. 238
- Grayson B1430 Burrard, p. 22
- Grayson Benj commissionaire CC of C1430 Burrard, p. 238
- Grayson Claude1430 Burrard, p. 238
- Grayson Wm R mach tndr Canada Roof Prods1430 Burrard, p. 238
- *Grayson A bldg contr2728 Collingwood, p. 32
- Grayson Alfd bldg contr2728 Collingwood, p. 238
- Grayson Miss D737 Gore, p. 60
- Grayson Dolly737 Gore, p. 238
- Grayson A C1562 William, p. 167
- Grayson Albt C mach Van Mill Machy1562 William, p. 238
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
The book of the Graysons
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Grayson 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.