Vancouver / Names / N / Needham

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Needhams

In the city directories 1940 · twelve people at seven addresses

The directories print twelve people named Needham at seven addresses in 1940 in seven 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 Needhams at 1058 Nelson 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 Needhams lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. One address isn't on today's map, so it has no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    224 East 14th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Mrs J Needham 1940
    • Margaret M Needham 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M A Allen at 214 and F S Green at 226. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2284 East 52nd Avenue

    Victoria-Fraserview, 1940

    • W Needham, a laborer 1940

    Next door in 1940: J G Smith at 2276. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    5860 Lincoln Street

    Killarney, 1940

    • T Needham, retired 1940
    • Cecil C Needham, a metalworker at Bowell McDonald Motor 1940

    Next door in 1940: A J Malcolm at 5852 and W F Cooke at 5870. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    318 Main Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Harold Needham, a cook 1940

    Next door in 1940: Lanning Pool Hall at 314 and N Aihoshi at 320. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1058 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • C A Needham, a broker 1940
    • Alice C Needham, a nurse at the Vancouver General Hospital 1940
    • Maxine D Needham 1940

    Next door in 1940: Star Garage at 1042 and L E Collum at 1070. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    351 West 21st Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • J W Needham, a foreman at Pacific Coal 1940

    Next door in 1940: H Knight at 341 and J H Hyde at 361. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    4340 West 8th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • J J Needham, a salesman 1940
    • Gerrard Needham, a machinist 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Allan at 4334 and E B Sparkes at 4348. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for eight of the twelve: a broker, a cook, a foreman, a laborer, a machinist and a metalworker, among others.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Killarney, Mount Pleasant, Riley Park, Strathcona, Victoria-Fraserview, West End 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 Mrs J Needham at 224 East 14th Avenue. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Mrs Josephine Needham there as the householder, with Margaret M Needham. In 1940 the directory lists W Needham at 2284 East 52nd Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Willis Needham there as the householder, a laborer.

In 1940 the directory lists T Needham at 5860 Lincoln Street; 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 Thomas Needham there as the householder, retired, with Cecil C Needham, a metalworker at Bowell McDonald Motor. The 1940 name section lists Harold Needham at 318 Main Street, a cook.

C A Needham is listed at 1058 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Charles A Needham there as the householder, a broker, with Alice C Needham, a nurse at the Vancouver General Hospital, and Maxine D Needham. J W Needham is listed at 351 West 21st Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists John W Needham there as the householder, a foreman at Pacific Coal.

J J Needham is listed at 4340 West 8th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists John J Needham there as the householder, a salesman, with Jack Needham, a window dresser at J O'Loane Co, and Gerrard Needham, a machinist.

Today

1058 Nelson, 351 West 21st and 4340 West 8th still have their buildings from before 1946, 1058 Nelson on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 5860 Lincoln (2015) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 224 East 14th, 2284 East 52nd and 318 Main, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges
About 1915 Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges. Not at the house at 1058 Nelson: no archive photo of the 1000 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, Str P181.2. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 19 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 Needhams

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Needham 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 N. Want a name removed? Tell us.