Vancouver / Names / J / James / West 2nd Avenue

A family name on West 2nd Avenue, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Fairview and West Point Grey

The Jameses

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at three addresses

The directories print seven people named James at three addresses in 1940, all on West 2nd Avenue. 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 Jameses at 3242 West 2nd in 1940. The directories print the name on 75 other streets too, all listed on the James name's own page.

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 Jameses 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

    2464 West 2nd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mrs E L James, widow of E 1940

    Next door in 1940: Convalescent Home Murray at 2450 and F S Reynolds at 2472. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2729 West 2nd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • E James, a president at James Radio Ltd 1940
    • Leo James, a salesman at James Radio 1940

    Next door in 1940: F T Patrick at 2723 and Mrs E A Holmes at 2735. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    3242 West 2nd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mrs V B James 1940
    • Charles L James, a clerk at the Canadian Bank of Commerce 1940
    • Ellen James, an accountant for J T Auld 1940
    • Joseph W James, a clerk at Burnyeats 1940

    Next door in 1940: E R Follick at 3236. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the seven: a clerk (2), an accountant, a president and a salesman. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (3). 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 E L James at 2464 West 2nd Avenue. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Ethel L James there as the householder, widow of E. In 1940 the directory lists E James at 2729 West 2nd 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 Ernest James there as the householder, a president at James Radio Ltd, with Leo James, a salesman at James Radio.

In 1940 the directory lists Mrs V B James at 3242 West 2nd Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Violet B James there as the householder, with Charles L James, a clerk at the Canadian Bank of Commerce, Ellen James, an accountant for J T Auld, and Joseph W James, a clerk at Burnyeats.

Today

2729 West 2nd and 3242 West 2nd still have their buildings from before 1946, 3242 West 2nd on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 2464 West 2nd (1958) has a newer building, by the City's record.

Every line as printed

All 10 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 Jameses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the James 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 J. Want a name removed? Tell us.