Vancouver / Names / L / Lester

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Lesters

In the city directories 1940 · 18 people at twelve addresses

The directories print 18 people named Lester at twelve addresses in 1940 in seven 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: three Lesters at 1298 West 10th 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 Lesters lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. Two addresses aren't on today's map, so they have no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    4021 Beatrice Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • H Lester, a taper at BC Plywoods 1940
    • Margery E Lester, a saleswoman at Woodward's 1940
  2. 2

    3868 Commercial Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • J P Lester, a shipper at Burns & Co 1940

    Next door in 1940: A C Rogers at 3856 and Mrs A E Jones at 3894. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1151 Comox Street

    West End, 1940

    • Edmund Lester, a floorman at the Pacific Mills 1940

    Next door in 1940: P H MacKay at 1149 and Mrs D M Holt at 1155. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2148 Cornwall Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • F W Lester, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Bogdan at 2146 and T C Kirkpatrick at 2152. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    522 East 10th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • F R Lester, a police inspector at the City of Vancouver 1940
    • Robert A Lester, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A Harrison at 516 and E G Perry at 530. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1049 East 13th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • W E A Lester, a police officer at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Kark at 1035 and C A Mills at 1057. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    1505 East 13th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • F B Lester, a longshoreman 1940

    Next door in 1940: C H James at 1517. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    6126 Fraser Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • Mrs E M Lester, widow of J 1940
    • Jean E Lester 1940

    Next door in 1940: Beauty Shoppe De Lila at 6124 and C W Sutherland at 6128. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    1330 Pendrell Street

    West End, 1940

    • A M Lester, a lumber exporter 1940
    • Daphne G Lester, a stenographer 1940

    Next door in 1940: F F Edwards at 1300 and E P Luck at 1336. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    998 Thurlow Street

    West End, 1940

    • Audrey M Lester, a stenographer at Canada Ship 1940

    Next door in 1940: R P Barrett at 940. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    1298 West 10th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • C W Lester, an advertising manager at Financial News & Western Mining Review 1940
    • Mrs L P Lester, widow of J B 1940
    • Lewis Lester 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A M Stewart at 1278. The block, door by door

  12. 12

    850 West Hastings Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • A M Lester, a lumber exporter 1940

    Next door in 1940: Rounsefell Ceperley at 846. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for twelve of the 18: a stenographer (2), an advertising manager, a floorman, a longshoreman, a lumber exporter and a police inspector, among others. Two of them worked for Vancouver City. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kensington-Cedar Cottage (3), West End (3), Mount Pleasant (2), Downtown, Fairview, Kitsilano and Sunset. 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 H Lester at 4021 Beatrice 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 Harry Lester there as the householder, retired, with Harry A Lester, a taper at BC Plywoods, and Margery E Lester, a saleswoman at Woodward's. In 1940 the directory lists J P Lester at 3868 Commercial Street. The 1940 name section lists John P Lester there as the householder, a shipper at Burns & Co.

The 1940 name section lists Edmund Lester at 1151 Comox Street, a floorman at the Pacific Mills. F W Lester is listed at 2148 Cornwall Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Fred W Lester there as the householder, retired.

F R Lester is listed at 522 East 10th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Frederick R Lester there as the householder, a police inspector at the City of Vancouver, with Robert A Lester, a salesman. W E A Lester is listed at 1049 East 13th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists William E A Lester there as the householder, a police officer at the City of Vancouver.

F B Lester is listed at 1505 East 13th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Frederick B Lester there as the householder, a longshoreman. Mrs E M Lester is listed at 6126 Fraser Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Elizabeth M Lester there as the householder, widow of J, with Jean E Lester.

A M Lester is listed at 1330 Pendrell Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Alfred M Lester there as the householder, a lumber exporter, with Daphne G Lester, a stenographer. The 1940 name section lists Audrey M Lester at 998 Thurlow Street, a stenographer at Canada Ship.

In 1940 the directory lists Mrs L P Lester at 1298 West 10th Avenue. By 1940 it is C W Lester. The 1940 name section lists Curtis W Lester there as the householder, an advertising manager at Financial News & Western Mining Review, with Lucinda P Lester, widow of J B, and Lewis Lester. A M Lester, a lumber exporter, is listed at 850 West Hastings Street in 1940.

Today

522 East 10th, 6126 Fraser, 998 Thurlow, 1298 West 10th and 850 West Hastings still have their buildings from before 1946, 850 West Hastings on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 3868 Commercial (1984), 1505 East 13th (1987) and 1330 Pendrell (1969) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 4021 Beatrice, 1151 Comox, 2148 Cornwall and 1049 East 13th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 29 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 Lesters

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Lester 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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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.