Vancouver / Names / K / Kells

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Kellses

In the city directories 1940 · six people at five addresses

The directories print six people named Kells at five addresses in 1940 in three 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 Kellses 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

    1846 Arbutus Street

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • D E Kells, a cleaner at the Vancouver General Hospital 1940
    • Alice E Kells 1940

    Next door in 1940: L J Smith at 1838. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2110 Blenheim Street

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Robert W Kells, a clerk at the Liquor Control Board 1940

    Next door in 1940: F X Frank at 2120. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1995 West 15th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • G P Kells, a secretary-treasurer at Sitka Spruce Lumber 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs G E Coulthard at 1985. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3908 West 21st Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • Dickson W K Kells, a foreman 1940

    Next door in 1940: N C Hutchison at 3904 and E Pinkerton at 3914. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1254 West Georgia Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Grace M Kells, a hairdresser at the Hudson's Bay Company 1940

    Next door in 1940: J R Elm at 1252 and G Griffin at 1268. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the six: a cleaner, a clerk, a foreman, a hairdresser and a secretary-treasurer.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (3), Downtown and Dunbar-Southlands. 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 D E Kells at 1846 Arbutus Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists David E Kells there as the householder, a cleaner at the Vancouver General Hospital, with Alice E Kells. The 1940 name section lists Robert W Kells at 2110 Blenheim Street, a clerk at the Liquor Control Board.

G P Kells is listed at 1995 West 15th Avenue 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 George P Kells there as the householder, a secretary-treasurer at Sitka Spruce Lumber. The 1940 name section lists Dickson W K Kells at 3908 West 21st Avenue as the householder, a foreman. The 1940 name section lists Grace M Kells at 1254 West Georgia Street, a hairdresser at the Hudson's Bay Company.

Today

1846 Arbutus, 2110 Blenheim, 1995 West 15th and 3908 West 21st still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 1254 West Georgia, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 8 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 Kellses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Kells 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 K. Want a name removed? Tell us.