Vancouver / Names / G / Grierson

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Griersons

In the city directories 1940 · eleven people at five addresses

The directories print eleven people named Grierson 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: four Griersons at 5825 Carnarvon 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 Griersons 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

    5825 Carnarvon Street

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • Mrs H M Grierson, widow of D 1940
    • David R Grierson 1940
    • H Dawne Grierson, a commercial artist 1940
    • June B Grierson, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: F R Sargent at 5875. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    125 East 2nd Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • W J Grierson 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Watson at 123 and A Biscaro at 131. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    4317 Victoria Drive

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • Mrs E M Grierson, proprietor of Cinderella Beauty Shoppe 1940
    • Clif Grierson, a driver 1940
    • James Grierson, a transfer 1940

    Next door in 1940: J McPherson at 4349. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    345 West 10th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Anne Grierson, a writer 1940

    Next door in 1940: J W Young at 335 and W Marcotte at 355. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    3160 West 26th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • Mrs C A Grierson, widow of J H 1940
    • Phyllis A Grierson 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss A J Dauphinee at 3128 and R E W Hillier at 3182. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the eleven: a commercial artist, a driver, a proprietor, a transfer and a writer. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Mount Pleasant (2), Dunbar-Southlands, Kensington-Cedar Cottage and Kerrisdale. 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 Mrs H M Grierson at 5825 Carnarvon Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Hyacinth M Grierson there as the householder, widow of D, with David R Grierson, H Dawne Grierson, a commercial artist, and June B Grierson, a student. The 1940 name section lists W J Grierson at 125 East 2nd Avenue.

Mrs E M Grierson is listed at 4317 Victoria Drive 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 Mrs Ella M Grierson there as the householder, proprietor of Cinderella Beauty Shoppe, with Clif Grierson, a driver, and James Grierson, a transfer. The 1940 name section lists Anne Grierson at 345 West 10th Avenue, a writer.

In 1940 the directory lists Mrs C A Grierson at 3160 West 26th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Caroline A Grierson there as the householder, widow of J H, with Phyllis A Grierson.

Today

5825 Carnarvon and 4317 Victoria Drive still have their buildings from before 1946, 5825 Carnarvon on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 345 West 10th (1973) and 3160 West 26th (2017) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 125 East 2nd, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 14 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 Griersons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Grierson 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.