Vancouver / Names / P / Pawson

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Pawsons

In the city directories 1940 · four people at four addresses

The directories print four people named Pawson 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 Pawsons 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

    7839 Cartier Street

    Marpole, 1940

    • J Pawson, a cleaner at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: F M Tuplin at 7827 and H R Barden at 7875. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    540 Helmcken Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Harold Pawson, a reporter at News-Herald 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Smith at 538 and E Schofield at 542. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1642 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Ray Pawson, a refineryman 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M L Low at 1636 and C E Prince at 1648. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    859 West 64th Avenue

    Marpole, 1940

    • Cyril Pawson, a waiter at Fountain Lunch & Toast Shops 1940

    Next door in 1940: M T Clugston at 851 and A Lyon at 877. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for all four: a cleaner, a refineryman, a reporter and a waiter.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Marpole (2), Downtown 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 J Pawson at 7839 Cartier 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, where each person's work is printed, lists John Pawson there as the householder, a cleaner at the City of Vancouver. The 1940 name section lists Harold Pawson at 540 Helmcken Street, a reporter at News-Herald. The 1940 name section lists Ray Pawson at 1642 Robson Street, a refineryman.

The 1940 name section lists Cyril Pawson at 859 West 64th Avenue, a driver at BC Concrete, with Cyril Pawson, a waiter at Fountain Lunch & Toast Shops.

Today

540 Helmcken still has its building from before 1946, dated 1910 by the City's record and on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 7839 Cartier (1991) and 1642 Robson (1976) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 859 West 64th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Firemen with their motor engines outside the Point Grey fire hall at Cartier Street and 38th Avenue
About 1920 Firemen with their motor engines outside the Point Grey fire hall at Cartier Street and 38th Avenue. Not at the house at 7839 Cartier: no archive photo of the 7800 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, FD P44. Public domain.

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, street section

The book of the Pawsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Pawson 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 P. Want a name removed? Tell us.