Vancouver / Names / L / Lawley

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Lawleys

In the city directories 1940 · eight people at four addresses

The directories print eight people named Lawley at four 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. The most under one roof: four Lawleys at 1023 Comox 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 Lawleys 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

    725 Broughton Street

    West End, 1940

    • W C Lawley, who kept rooms to let 1940
    • Ethel M Lawley, a clerk at Spencer's 1940

    Next door in 1940: E S Wise at 719. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1023 Comox Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs L Lawley, widow of A 1940
    • Mae S Lawley, a saleswoman at Woolworths 1940
    • Myra Lawley, a saleswoman 1940
    • William H Lawley 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M Purves at 1021 and F B Kenny at 1031. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    620 East Broadway

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Mabel E Lawley 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M B Betts at 630. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    482 West 21st Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • Mrs I M Lawley, widow of W J 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs L E O'Reilly at 474. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the eight: a saleswoman (2) and a clerk. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (2), Mount Pleasant and Riley Park. 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 W C Lawley, rooms to let, at 725 Broughton Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists William C Lawley there, who kept rooms to let, with Ethel M Lawley, a clerk at Spencer's. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs L Lawley at 1023 Comox Street. The 1940 name section lists Louisa Lawley there as the householder, widow of A, with Mae S Lawley, a saleswoman at Woolworths, Myra Lawley, a saleswoman, and William H Lawley.

The 1940 name section lists Mabel E Lawley at 620 East Broadway. Mrs I M Lawley is listed at 482 West 21st 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 Irene M Lawley there as the householder, widow of W J.

Today

482 West 21st still has its building from before 1946, dated 1937 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 725 Broughton, 1023 Comox and 620 East Broadway, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Comox Street looking east from Denman, lined with cut-back boulevard trees
1925 Comox Street looking east from Denman, lined with cut-back boulevard trees. Not at the house at 1023 Comox: no archive photo of the 1000 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 357-1. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 11 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 Lawleys

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Lawley 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.