Vancouver / Names / L / Lam

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Lams

In the city directories 1940 · 13 people at six addresses

The directories print 13 people named Lam at six 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 Lams at 1452 East 11th 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 Lams 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

    1452 East 11th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • Ling Lam 1940
    • Dora Lam 1940
    • George Lam, a bookkeeper 1940
    • Jessie Lam 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Ovey at 1444. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    548 East Georgia Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Mrs Leong Shee Lam, widow of T L 1940
    • Andrew Lam, who worked for the Anglican Chinese Mission 1940
    • George Lam, a clerk 1940
    • Paul Lam 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Kluckner at 542 and S Liang at 550. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    150 East Pender Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Kee Lam, who ran a restaurant 1940

    Next door in 1940: Fook Shang Meat Mkt at 148 and Wing Lung Co at 152. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    228 East Pender Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Lee George Lam, proprietor of BC Pool Room 1940

    Next door in 1940: K H Chop Suey at 224 and Lee Chong at 232. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    2343 Granville Street

    Fairview, 1940

    • Doug Lam, proprietor of Sun Tailors 1940

    Next door in 1940: K Asano at 2339 and desrosiers blk at 2345. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    300 Keefer Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Fong Lam, a foreman at Ho Sun Hing Co 1940
    • Peter Lam 1940

    Next door in 1940: Wah Ying Suie at 302. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the 13: a proprietor (2), a bookkeeper, a clerk, a foreman and a restaurant. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Strathcona (3), Downtown, Fairview and Kensington-Cedar Cottage. 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 Ling Lam at 1452 East 11th Avenue. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Ling Chiu Lam there as the householder, with Dora Lam, George Lam, a bookkeeper, and Jessie Lam. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs Leong Shee Lam at 548 East Georgia 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 lists Leong Shee Lam there as the householder, widow of T L, with Andrew Lam, who worked for the Anglican Chinese Mission, George Lam, a clerk, and Paul Lam.

In 1940 the directory lists Kee Lam, a restaurant, at 150 East Pender Street. The 1940 name section lists Kee Lam there, who ran a restaurant. The 1940 name section lists Lee George Lam at 228 East Pender Street, proprietor of BC Pool Room. The 1940 name section lists Doug Lam at 2343 Granville Street, proprietor of Sun Tailors.

The 1940 name section lists Fong Lam at 300 Keefer Street, a foreman at Ho Sun Hing Co, with Peter Lam.

Today

1452 East 11th and 228 East Pender still have their buildings from before 1946, 1452 East 11th on the Vancouver Heritage Register; the City no longer lists 548 East Georgia, 150 East Pender, 2343 Granville and 300 Keefer, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 16 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 Lams

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Lam 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 L. Want a name removed? Tell us.