Vancouver / Names / M / McNamara

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The McNamaras

In the city directories 1940 · nine people at eight addresses

The directories print nine people named McNamara at eight addresses in 1940 in five 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 McNamaras 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

    1274 Burrard Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • William McNamara, a winder at British Ropes 1940

    Next door in 1940: A S Knutsen at 1270 and R H Tapper at 1280. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1131 Davie Street

    West End, 1940

    • Frances McNamara, a cashier at White Lunch 1940

    Next door in 1940: R H Robinson at 1125 and W Gibson at 1133. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    828 Dunsmuir Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • D McNamara 1940

    Next door in 1940: Angelus Conf at 832. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2780 East 16th Avenue

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • P A McNamara 1940

    Next door in 1940: D Kilby at 2796. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    42 East Cordova Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • R J McNamara 1940

    Next door in 1940: Pumps & Power Ltd at 40 and Pumps & Power (whse) at 48. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    817 Nelson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • J W McNamara, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: D C Watt at 805 and Mrs I Murray at 821. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    3994 West 30th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • J H McNamara, a master mariner 1940
    • Alice R McNamara, an operator at the BC Telephone 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Grisenthwaite at 3986. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    1625 West 8th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Irene McNamara, a saleswoman at Burns Leather Goods 1940

    Next door in 1940: A G Le Neveu at 1611 and T Taylor at 1631. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the nine: a cashier, a master mariner, an operator, a saleswoman and a winder.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (4), Dunbar-Southlands, Fairview, Renfrew-Collingwood 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 William McNamara at 1274 Burrard Street, a winder at British Ropes. The 1940 name section lists Frances McNamara at 1131 Davie Street, a cashier at White Lunch. In 1940 the directory lists D McNamara at 828 Dunsmuir Street. The 1940 name section lists David McNamara there as the householder.

In 1940 the directory lists P A McNamara at 2780 East 16th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists R J McNamara at 42 East Cordova Street. In 1940 the directory lists J W McNamara at 817 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section lists John W McNamara there as the householder, retired.

In 1940 the directory lists J H McNamara at 3994 West 30th 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 lists James H McNamara there as the householder, a master mariner, with Alice R McNamara, an operator at the BC Telephone. The 1940 name section lists Irene McNamara at 1625 West 8th Avenue, a saleswoman at Burns Leather Goods.

Today

42 East Cordova and 3994 West 30th still have their buildings from before 1946; 2780 East 16th (1979) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1274 Burrard, 1131 Davie, 828 Dunsmuir, 817 Nelson and 1625 West 8th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 12 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 McNamaras

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the McNamara 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.

One email, when it's ready. We use your email for nothing else and never share it. Privacy

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.