Vancouver / Names / O / O'Brian

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The O'Brians

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at six addresses

The directories print seven people named O'Brian at six addresses in 1940 in six 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 O'Brians 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

    1245 Harwood Street

    West End, 1940

    • N E O'Brian 1940

    Next door in 1940: C D Hobbs at 1225 and Miss M L Alexander at 1285. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1595 Marpole Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • C M O'Brian, a barrister 1940
    • Peter D O'Brian, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: Dr A H Spohn at 1589. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    556 Powell Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • C O'Brian 1940

    Next door in 1940: S Ochiai at 550 and Farmers' Products Distrib at 558. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    525 Seymour Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • C M O'Brian, a barrister 1940

    Next door in 1940: H V Tuff at 523 and Georgian Garage at 541. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    3550 Welwyn Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • P O'Brian, a miner 1940

    Next door in 1940: G H Meek at 3528 and Mrs G Eyre at 3560. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    426 West 18th Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • C O'Brian, a clerk at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: R T Hunter at 420 and A C Peterson at 434. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the seven: a barrister, a clerk and a miner.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Riley Park, Shaughnessy, Strathcona 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

In 1940 the directory lists N E O'Brian at 1245 Harwood Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Nigel E O'Brian there as the householder. In 1940 the directory lists C M O'Brian at 1595 Marpole 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 Clarence M O'Brian there as the householder, a barrister, with Peter D O'Brian, a student.

The 1940 name section lists C O'Brian at 556 Powell Street. C M O'Brian, a barrister, is listed at 525 Seymour Street in 1940. In 1940 the directory lists P O'Brian at 3550 Welwyn Street. The 1940 name section lists Patrick O'Brian there as the householder, a miner.

In 1940 the directory lists C O'Brian at 426 West 18th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Clarence O'Brian there as the householder, a sawyer at Canadian White Pine, with Clarence W O'Brian, a clerk at the City of Vancouver.

Today

1595 Marpole, 556 Powell, 525 Seymour, 3550 Welwyn and 426 West 18th still have their buildings from before 1946, 525 Seymour on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 1245 Harwood (2018) has a newer building, by the City's record.

Every line as printed

All 12 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 O'Brians

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the O'Brian 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 O. Want a name removed? Tell us.