Vancouver / Names / M / Medforth

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Medforths

In the city directories 1940 · three people at two addresses

The directories print three people named Medforth at two addresses in 1940 in two of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: 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 Medforths 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

    2833 Oak Street

    Fairview, 1940

    • Mrs E L Medforth, widow of T B 1940
    • Helen R Medforth, a nurse at the Vancouver General Hospital 1940
  2. 2

    1661 Victoria Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • J M Medforth, on active service 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Hillier at 1637. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the three: a nurse and an on active service. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview and Grandview-Woodland. 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 Mrs E L Medforth at 2833 Oak Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Edith L Medforth there as the householder, widow of T B, with Helen R Medforth, a nurse at the Vancouver General Hospital. In 1940 the directory lists J M Medforth at 1661 Victoria Drive. The 1940 name section lists John M Medforth there as the householder, on active service.

Today

2833 Oak still has its building from before 1946, dated 1914 by the City's record; 1661 Victoria Drive (2008) has a newer building, by the City's record.

Oak Street at Broadway, looking south past billboards and the Vallejo Court apartments
21 May 1929 Oak Street at Broadway, looking south past billboards and the Vallejo Court apartments. Not at the house at 2833 Oak: no archive photo of the 2800 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 453-1. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 5 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 Medforths

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Medforth 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.