Vancouver / Names / N / Ness

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Nesses

In the city directories 1940 · ten people at six addresses

The directories print ten people named Ness at six addresses in 1940 in four 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 Nesses at 782 East 11th 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 Nesses 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

    768 East 11th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • W H Ness, a salesman at Ryan Bros 1940

    Next door in 1940: J G Thomson at 756 and J B Ness at 782. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    782 East 11th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • J B Ness, a patternmaker at the Canadian Sumner Iron Works 1940
    • Doreen F Ness 1940
    • Frances Ness, widow of W H 1940

    Next door in 1940: W H Ness at 768 and W T Hillier at 792. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    936 Hornby Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • G C Ness, an engineer 1940
    • William B Ness, a warehouseman at Macdonald's Consolidated 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Allan at 930 and F Hummel at 940. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1109 Pacific Street

    West End, 1940

    • James W Ness, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Lyle at 1105 and H W Mackey at 1121. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1133 Pacific Street

    West End, 1940

    • Clara Ness 1940
    • Mrs Hazel E Ness 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss B E Daynard at 1129 and F Booth at 1137. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    3506 West King Edward Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • Frank B Ness, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: T M Ryan at 3520. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the ten: a salesman (2), an engineer, a patternmaker and a warehouseman. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Mount Pleasant (2), West End (2), Downtown and Dunbar-Southlands. 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 W H Ness at 768 East 11th Avenue. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists William H Ness there as the householder, a salesman at Ryan Bros. In 1940 the directory lists J B Ness at 782 East 11th Avenue; 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 John B Ness there as the householder, a patternmaker at the Canadian Sumner Iron Works, with Doreen F Ness, and Frances Ness, widow of W H.

In 1940 the directory lists G C Ness at 936 Hornby Street. The 1940 name section lists George C Ness there as the householder, retired, with George C G Ness, an engineer, and William B Ness, a warehouseman at Macdonald's Consolidated. The 1940 name section lists James W Ness at 1109 Pacific Street, a salesman. The 1940 name section lists Clara Ness at 1133 Pacific Street, with Mrs Hazel E Ness.

The 1940 name section lists Frank B Ness at 3506 West King Edward Avenue as the householder, retired.

Today

782 East 11th and 3506 West King Edward still have their buildings from before 1946; 768 East 11th (2009) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 936 Hornby, 1109 Pacific and 1133 Pacific, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 14 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 Nesses

Every directory, as one book

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