Vancouver / Names / J / Jenns

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Jennses

In the city directories 1940 · nine people at seven addresses

The directories print nine people named Jenns at seven addresses in 1940 in six of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Jens. 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 Jennses 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

    2771 Adanac Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • J S Jenns, a salesman at D McLean Motor 1940
    • Margaret Jenns, widow of A 1940

    Next door in 1940: R Winter at 2753. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    917 East 12th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • R Jens, of Jens Bros 1940
    • Dorothy C Jens, a saleswoman at Woolworths 1940

    Next door in 1940: J H Brown at 943. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    615 East 45th Avenue

    Sunset, 1940

    • Gordon Jenns, a serviceman for F G Cheeseman 1940

    Next door in 1940: S Roberts at 605 and T H Bohart at 625. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    115 East 56th Avenue

    Sunset, 1940

    • W Jenns, a laborer at the Langara Golf Club 1940

    Next door in 1940: N Walton at 131. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    797 Keefer Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Mrs M Jenns, an operator at North West Sack 1940

    Next door in 1940: Nelsen & Co at 795 and Chong Tai Lee at 799. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    4172 Knight Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • T A Jens, of Jens Bros 1940

    Next door in 1940: F W Benner at 4150 and B M Bockhold at 4182. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    2415 West 14th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Phyllis E L Jenns, a stenographer at the Canadian Government 1940

    Next door in 1940: T H Talbot at 2405 and R A McLachlan at 2427. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the nine: a laborer, an operator, a salesman, a saleswoman, a serviceman and a stenographer. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Sunset (2), Hastings-Sunrise, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant 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

In 1940 the directory lists J S Jenns at 2771 Adanac 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 J Stan Jenns there as the householder, a salesman at D McLean Motor, with Margaret Jenns, widow of A. In 1940 the directory lists R Jens at 917 East 12th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Rudolph Jens there as the householder, of Jens Bros, with Dorothy C Jens, a saleswoman at Woolworths.

The 1940 name section lists Gordon Jenns at 615 East 45th Avenue, a serviceman for F G Cheeseman. W Jenns is listed at 115 East 56th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Waldimer Jenns there as the householder, a laborer at the Langara Golf Club.

Mrs M Jenns is listed at 797 Keefer Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Mabel Jenns there as the householder, an operator at North West Sack. T A Jens is listed at 4172 Knight Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Theo A Jens there as the householder, of Jens Bros.

The 1940 name section lists Phyllis E L Jenns at 2415 West 14th Avenue, a stenographer at the Canadian Government.

Today

2771 Adanac, 917 East 12th, 615 East 45th and 2415 West 14th still have their buildings from before 1946; 115 East 56th (1991) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 797 Keefer and 4172 Knight, so those buildings are 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 Jennses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Jenns 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.

One email, when it's ready. We use your email for nothing else and never share it. Privacy

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.