A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Motherwells
In the city directories 1940 · five people at three addresses
The directories print five people named Motherwell at three addresses in 1940 in two 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 Motherwells lived
- 1
2919 Alder Street
Fairview, 1940
- Gavin B Motherwell, a first aidman 1940
Next door in 1940: D S Mitchell at 2929. The block, door by door
- 2
925 West 14th Avenue
Fairview, 1940
- B T Motherwell, an accountant 1940
- Cath T Motherwell, a nurse 1940
Next door in 1940: Mrs E A Carnahan at 915 and Mrs P H Bell at 935. The block, door by door
- 3
2539 West 33rd Avenue
Arbutus Ridge, 1940
- J A Motherwell, a chief supervisor at the Department of Fisheries Canadian Government 1940
- Victor G Motherwell, a student at UBC 1940
Next door in 1940: Miss W B T Blair at 2509. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for four of the five: an accountant, a chief supervisor, a first aidman and a nurse.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Fairview (2) and Arbutus Ridge. 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 Gavin B Motherwell at 2919 Alder Street, a first aidman. B T Motherwell is listed at 925 West 14th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Basil T Motherwell there as the householder, an accountant, with Cath T Motherwell, a nurse.
J A Motherwell is listed at 2539 West 33rd Avenue 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 James A Motherwell there as the householder, a chief supervisor at the Department of Fisheries Canadian Government, with Victor G Motherwell, a student at UBC.
Today
2539 West 33rd still has its building from before 1946, dated 1937 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 2919 Alder and 925 West 14th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 7 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Motherwell Gavin B first aidmn2919 Alder, p. 445
- Motherwell B T925 West 14th, p. 215
- Motherwell Basil T acct925 West 14th, p. 445
- Motherwell Cath T nurse925 West 14th, p. 445
- *Motherwell J A2539 West 33rd, p. 249
- Motherwell Jas A chf supvr Dept of Fisheries Can Govt2539 West 33rd, p. 445
- Motherwell Victor G studt UBC2539 West 33rd, p. 445
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
The book of the Motherwells
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Motherwell 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.