A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The McGraths
In the city directories 1940 · 15 people at twelve addresses
The directories print 15 people named McGrath at twelve addresses in 1940 in eight 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 McGraths at 5660 Yew 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 McGraths lived
- 1
1227 Beach Avenue
West End, 1940
- Margaret McGrath, a housekeeper for C A Lindsay 1940
Next door in 1940: M O Blair at 1215 and Mrs A Gregg at 1235. The block, door by door
- 2
1816 East 10th Avenue
Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940
- J McGrath, proprietor of Commercial Radio 1940
- C A Noel McGrath, a serviceman at Commercial Radio 1940
Next door in 1940: L Naughty at 1810 and W M Tipping at 1824. The block, door by door
- 3
177 East Hastings Street
Downtown, 1940
- Jerry McGrath 1940
Next door in 1940: J Johnson at 175 and Pool Room Hastings at 179. The block, door by door
- 4
1661 Harwood Street
West End, 1940
- Peggy McGrath, who worked for Martin Senour 1940
Next door in 1940: E E McMurray at 1637 and J A Vaughan at 1667. The block, door by door
- 5
546 Kaslo Street
Hastings-Sunrise, 1940
- M A McGrath, a foreman at BC Sugar 1940
Next door in 1940: Mrs M McIver at 536. The block, door by door
- 6
1122 Nelson Street
West End, 1940
- J E McGrath 1940
Next door in 1940: A Halward at 1120 and E W Morrison at 1130. The block, door by door
- 7
1764 Pandora Street
Grandview-Woodland, 1940
- M P McGrath 1940
Next door in 1940: H W Mitchell at 1748 and H Ansell at 1774. The block, door by door
- 8
2036 Triumph Street
Grandview-Woodland, 1940
- P McGrath 1940
Next door in 1940: M Ikeda at 2034 and Mrs R Odegard at 2048. The block, door by door
- 9
864 West 7th Avenue
Fairview, 1940
- J M McGrath, a shipwright 1940
Next door in 1940: Miss E E Brookes at 860 and Mrs R Haines at 890. The block, door by door
- 10
984 West 7th Avenue
Fairview, 1940
- Alfred McGrath 1940
Next door in 1940: H Kitagawa at 976. The block, door by door
- 11
2685 West 8th Avenue
Kitsilano, 1940
- J R McGrath, an employee manager at the Pacific Mills 1940
Next door in 1940: Mrs B Brown at 2657. The block, door by door
- 12
5660 Yew Street
Arbutus Ridge, 1940
- J McGrath, a school janitor at the City of Vancouver 1940
- Evelyn M McGrath, a waitress at Woodward's 1940
- Myra F McGrath 1940
Next door in 1940: A Foulds at 5626 and G Crowe at 5670. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for eight of the 15: an employee manager, a foreman, a housekeeper, a proprietor, a school janitor and a serviceman, among others. Two of them worked for Commercial Radio.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in West End (3), Fairview (2), Grandview-Woodland (2), Arbutus Ridge, Downtown, Hastings-Sunrise, Kensington-Cedar Cottage and Kitsilano. 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 Margaret McGrath at 1227 Beach Avenue, a housekeeper for C A Lindsay. J McGrath is listed at 1816 East 10th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists John McGrath there as the householder, proprietor of Commercial Radio, with C A Noel McGrath, a serviceman at Commercial Radio. The 1940 name section lists Jerry McGrath at 177 East Hastings Street.
The 1940 name section lists Peggy McGrath at 1661 Harwood Street, who worked for Martin Senour. M A McGrath is listed at 546 Kaslo Street 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 Michael A McGrath there as the householder, a foreman at BC Sugar. J E McGrath is listed at 1122 Nelson Street in 1940.
In 1940 the directory lists M P McGrath at 1764 Pandora Street. The 1940 name section lists Merton P McGrath there as the householder. In 1940 the directory lists P McGrath at 2036 Triumph Street.
J M McGrath is listed at 864 West 7th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists James M McGrath there as the householder, a shipwright. The 1940 name section lists Alfred McGrath at 984 West 7th Avenue.
In 1940 the directory lists J R McGrath at 2685 West 8th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists James R McGrath there as the householder, an employee manager at the Pacific Mills. In 1940 the directory lists J McGrath at 5660 Yew Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists James McGrath there as the householder, a school janitor at the City of Vancouver, with Evelyn M McGrath, a waitress at Woodward's, and Myra F McGrath.
Today
1816 East 10th, 177 East Hastings and 546 Kaslo still have their buildings from before 1946; 984 West 7th (1981) and 5660 Yew (1998) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1227 Beach, 1661 Harwood, 1122 Nelson, 1764 Pandora, 2036 Triumph, 864 West 7th and 2685 West 8th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed
All 21 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- McGrath Margt hsekpr C A Lindsay1227 Beach, p. 377
- McGrath J1816 East 10th, p. 198
- McGrath C A Noel servmn Coml Radio1816 East 10th, p. 377
- McGrath John prop Coml Radio1816 East 10th, p. 377
- McGrath Jerry177 East Hastings, p. 377
- McGrath Peggy s'en Martin Senour1661 Harwood, p. 377
- *McGrath M A546 Kaslo, p. 93
- McGrath Michl A formn BC Sugar546 Kaslo, p. 377
- McGrath J E1122 Nelson, p. 118
- McGrath M P1764 Pandora, p. 124
- McGrath Merton P Ingshmn1764 Pandora, p. 377
- McGrath P2036 Triumph, p. 157
- McGrath J M864 West 7th, p. 191
- McGrath Jas M shpwrt864 West 7th, p. 377
- McGrath Alfd984 West 7th, p. 377
- *McGrath J R2685 West 8th, p. 196
- McGrath Jas R emp mgr Pac Mills2685 West 8th, p. 377
- *McGrath J5660 Yew, p. 171
- McGrath Evelyn M waitress Woodwards5660 Yew, p. 377
- McGrath Jas sch jntr Van City5660 Yew, p. 377
- McGrath Myra F5660 Yew, p. 377
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
The book of the McGraths
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the McGrath 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.