A family name on Yew Street, Kitsilano, Arbutus Ridge and Kerrisdale
The Mercers
In the city directories 1935–1940 · two people at two addresses
The directories print two people named Mercer at two addresses between 1935 and 1940, all on Yew Street, with the close spelling Mercier. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 37 other streets too, all listed on the Mercer name's own page.
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 Mercers lived
- 1
2421 Yew Street
Kitsilano, 1935
- W Mercer 1935
Next door in 1935: H A Woodford at 2415. The block, door by door
- 2
5590 Yew Street
Arbutus Ridge, 1940
- R K Mercer, an accountant at Motor Agencies 1940
Next door in 1940: Mrs E McGuire at 5570. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for one of the two: an accountant.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Arbutus Ridge 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
In 1935 the directory lists W Mercer at 2421 Yew Street; the 1935 line is marked *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark). R K Mercer is listed at 5590 Yew Street in 1940. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists R Kendall Mercer there as the householder, an accountant at Motor Agencies.
Today
2421 Yew still has its building from before 1946, dated 1912 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 5590 Yew, so that building is probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 3 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Mercers
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Mercer 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.