Vancouver / Names / M / McClay

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The McClays

In the city directories 1940 · twelve people at eight addresses

The directories print twelve people named McClay at eight addresses in 1940 in seven of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling McLay. 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 McClays at 3036 West 7th 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 McClays 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

    1949 Barclay Street

    West End, 1940

    • Sam McClay 1940

    Next door in 1940: R A Wyllie at 1945 and Miss A Gordon at 1967. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    917 East 10th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • A McLay, a carpet layer 1940
    • Jane McLay, who worked for Woodward's 1940

    Next door in 1940: R Mitchell at 923. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    277 East 24th Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • George A McLay, a longshoreman 1940

    Next door in 1940: A W Rolston at 271 and N Cartmell at 285. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    606 East 8th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • T J McLay, a journalist 1940
    • F Bernice McLay, a secretary at Bowman Storage 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E C Tracey at 628. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    953 Homer Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Jack McLay 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Enson at 955. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    5617 Rupert Street

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • J McM McClay, a carpenter 1940

    Next door in 1940: J M Tait at 5609 and J S Mills at 5625. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    1575 West 14th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • J McClay, a manager at The Aleeta 1940

    Next door in 1940: cavendish (the) at 1565 and Miss E K Hipperson at 1585. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    3036 West 7th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mrs E L McClay, widow of T 1940
    • Dora M H McClay, a clerk at the Bank of Nova Scotia 1940
    • Stan J O McClay, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: A C Giffen at 3032 and S T Davies at 3040. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for nine of the twelve: a carpenter, a carpet layer, a clerk, an employee, a journalist and a longshoreman, among others. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Mount Pleasant (2), Downtown, Fairview, Kitsilano, Renfrew-Collingwood, Riley Park and West End. 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Sam McClay at 1949 Barclay Street. A McLay is listed at 917 East 10th 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 Alex McLay there as the householder, a carpet layer, with Jane McLay, who worked for Woodward's. The 1940 name section lists George A McLay at 277 East 24th Avenue, a longshoreman.

In 1940 the directory lists T J McLay at 606 East 8th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Thomas J McLay there as the householder, a journalist, with F Bernice McLay, a stenographer at Blane Fullerton & White, and Florence McLay, a secretary at Bowman Storage. The 1940 name section lists Jack McLay at 953 Homer Street.

J McM McClay is listed at 5617 Rupert Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists John McM McLay there as the householder, a carpenter. J McClay is listed at 1575 West 14th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists John McClay there as the householder, a manager at The Aleeta.

Mrs E L McClay is listed at 3036 West 7th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Edith L McClay there as the householder, widow of T, with Dora M H McClay, a clerk at the Bank of Nova Scotia, and Stan J O McClay, a salesman.

Today

917 East 10th, 277 East 24th, 606 East 8th, 5617 Rupert, 1575 West 14th and 3036 West 7th still have their buildings from before 1946; 1949 Barclay (1963) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 953 Homer, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 18 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the McClays

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the McClay 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 M. Want a name removed? Tell us.