A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Matcheses
In the city directories 1940 · three people at three addresses
The directories print three people named Matches at three 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 Matcheses lived
- 1
1356 East 13th Avenue
Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940
- G J Matches, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway 1940
Next door in 1940: C D Olivey at 1350 and F Hutson at 1362. The block, door by door
- 2
616 East 44th Avenue
Sunset, 1940
- G J Matches, a driver at Terminal Cartage 1940
Next door in 1940: W J Marshall at 606 and Mrs J Christian at 626. The block, door by door
- 3
2158 East 7th Avenue
Grandview-Woodland, 1940
- Horace R D Matches, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway 1940
Next door in 1940: J A F Smith at 2146 and C S Betts at 2164. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for all three: a motorman (2) and a driver. Two of them worked for BC Electric Railway.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland, Kensington-Cedar Cottage 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 G J Matches at 1356 East 13th Avenue; 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 George J Matches there as the householder, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway. In 1940 the directory lists G J Matches at 616 East 44th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists G John Matches there as the householder, a driver at Terminal Cartage.
The 1940 name section lists Horace R D Matches at 2158 East 7th Avenue, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway.
Today
1356 East 13th and 2158 East 7th still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 616 East 44th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 5 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- *Matches G J1356 East 13th, p. 210
- Matches Geo J mtrmn BCER1356 East 13th, p. 419
- *Matches G J616 East 44th, p. 260
- Matches G John drvr Term Ctge616 East 44th, p. 419
- Matches Horace R D mtrmn BCER2158 East 7th, p. 419
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Matcheses
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Matches 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.
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 M. Want a name removed? Tell us.