Vancouver / Names / M / Murchison

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Murchisons

In the city directories 1940 · four people at four addresses

The directories print four people named Murchison 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.

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 Murchisons 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

    1414 Haro Street

    West End, 1940

    • Maude Murchison, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: J T Harper at 1416. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    92 West 21st Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • V Murchison, of Tram Taxi 1940

    Next door in 1940: G Colassin at 80 and Mrs E Lycett at 96. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2190 West 4th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • A S Murchison, a fireman at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: A C Giles at 2194. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3372 West 5th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Vernon E Murchison, a fireman at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M McLachlan at 3350 and N W Murray at 3380. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the four: a fireman (2). Two of them worked for Vancouver City. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (2), Riley Park 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 Maude Murchison at 1414 Haro Street, widow of J. V Murchison is listed at 92 West 21st 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 Vernon Murchison there as the householder, of Tram Taxi.

A S Murchison is listed at 2190 West 4th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Alvin S Murchison there as the householder, a fireman at the City of Vancouver. The 1940 name section lists Vernon E Murchison at 3372 West 5th Avenue, a fireman at the City of Vancouver.

Today

3372 West 5th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1927 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1414 Haro, 92 West 21st and 2190 West 4th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 6 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 Murchisons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Murchison 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.