Vancouver / Names / M / McNiven

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The McNivens

In the city directories 1940 · six people at four addresses

The directories print six people named McNiven at four 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. The most under one roof: three McNivens at 1945 West 35th 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 McNivens 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

    4497 Belmont Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • J C McNiven, proprietor of Langara Grocery 1940

    Next door in 1940: W A Sheppard at 4451. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    763 East Broadway

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • J McNiven, a janitor 1940

    Next door in 1940: C R Murray at 757. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    124 West 11th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Mrs Mary T McNiven 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss M Armstrong at 118 and R Smith at 132. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1945 West 35th Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • Cath McNiven, a school teacher 1940
    • Isabella McNiven, a principal at the Sprott-Shaw School 1940
    • Margaret McNiven, a school teacher 1940

    Next door in 1940: A J Horie at 1921 and W R Bennett at 1957. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the six: a school teacher (2), a janitor, a principal and a proprietor. Two of them worked for Vancouver City.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Mount Pleasant (2), Shaughnessy and West Point Grey. 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 J C McNiven at 4497 Belmont Avenue. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists John C McNiven there as the householder, proprietor of Langara Grocery. In 1940 the directory lists J McNiven at 763 East Broadway. The 1940 name section lists James McNiven there as the householder, a janitor.

The 1940 name section lists Mrs Mary T McNiven at 124 West 11th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Cath McNiven at 1945 West 35th Avenue, a school teacher, with Isabella McNiven, a principal at the Sprott-Shaw School, and Margaret McNiven, a school teacher.

Today

124 West 11th and 1945 West 35th still have their buildings from before 1946; 4497 Belmont (1987) and 763 East Broadway (1977) have newer buildings, by the City's record.

Every line as printed

All 8 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 McNivens

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the McNiven 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.