Vancouver / Names / P / Penny

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Pennys

In the city directories 1940 · 19 people at 14 addresses

The directories print 19 people named Penny at 14 addresses in 1940 in nine 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 Pennys at 3256 West 2nd 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 Pennys 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

    1043 Barclay Street

    West End, 1940

    • Henry G Penny, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: J B Risk at 1039 and Mrs A L Burnett at 1047. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    5895 Chester Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • J B Penny, a fisherman 1940

    Next door in 1940: P Watson at 5885. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1539 East 14th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • A C Penny, an adjuster 1940
    • Mabel L Penny 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M F Sawyer at 1531 and E J Judd at 1551. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2453 East 27th Avenue

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • J Penny, a gardener 1940
    • Wilfred R Penny, who worked for Restmore 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Knox at 2447 and Gerald E J Fitz at 2475. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    2515 East 27th Avenue

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • W R Penny, a lineman 1940

    Next door in 1940: L A Browning at 2509 and C F Henricks at 2541. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1923 East 6th Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • D G Penny, a seaman 1940

    Next door in 1940: W W Chatters at 1929. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    436 East Hastings Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • John Penny 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Mortimer at 430 and “Orientals” at 442. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    470 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • S S Penny, a barrister 1940

    Next door in 1940: Rogers Bldg Barber Shop at 464 and A J Alexander at 474. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    1020 Melville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Florence M Penny, a stenographer at Safeway 1940

    Next door in 1940: W E Green at 1024. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    1058 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • A L Penny, on active service 1940

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

  11. 11

    1235 West 11th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • H J Penny, a school teacher 1940

    Next door in 1940: G Ansell at 1225 and D Hazan at 1245. The block, door by door

  12. 12

    1967 West 2nd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • W M Penny, a clerk at the City of Vancouver 1940
    • Jean F Penny, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: G A Truesdell at 1963 and W Egan at 1971. The block, door by door

  13. 13

    3256 West 2nd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • A J Penny, a salesman 1940
    • Harry L Penny, a student 1940
    • Jeanne Penny 1940

    Next door in 1940: J T MacGregor at 3262. The block, door by door

  14. 14

    3092 Willow Street

    Fairview, 1940

    • Winifred Penny, a dish washer at the Vancouver General Hospital 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Bird at 3040. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for twelve of the 19: an adjuster, a clerk, a dish washer, an employee, a fisherman and a gardener, among others. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (2), Fairview (2), Kitsilano (2), Renfrew-Collingwood (2), West End (2), Grandview-Woodland, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Strathcona and Sunset. 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 Henry G Penny at 1043 Barclay Street, retired. J B Penny is listed at 5895 Chester Street 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 John B Penny there as the householder, a fisherman.

A C Penny is listed at 1539 East 14th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Alfred C Penny there as the householder, an adjuster, with Mabel L Penny. J Penny is listed at 2453 East 27th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists John Penny there as the householder, a gardener, with Wilfred R Penny, who worked for Restmore.

W R Penny is listed at 2515 East 27th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists William R Penny there as the householder, a lineman. D G Penny is listed at 1923 East 6th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Doug G Penny there as the householder, a seaman.

The 1940 name section lists John Penny at 436 East Hastings Street. In 1940 the directory lists S S Penny, a barrister, at 470 Granville Street. The 1940 name section lists Sydney S. Penny there. The 1940 name section lists Florence M Penny at 1020 Melville Street, a stenographer at Safeway.

A L Penny is listed at 1058 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Alfred L Penny there as the householder, on active service. H J Penny is listed at 1235 West 11th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Hollis J Penny there as the householder, a school teacher.

W M Penny is listed at 1967 West 2nd Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists William M Penny there as the householder, a clerk at the City of Vancouver, with Jean F Penny, widow of J. A J Penny is listed at 3256 West 2nd Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Alfred J Penny there as the householder, a salesman, with Harry L Penny, a student, and Jeanne Penny.

The 1940 name section lists Winifred Penny at 3092 Willow Street, a dish washer at the Vancouver General Hospital.

Today

1539 East 14th, 2515 East 27th, 1923 East 6th, 470 Granville, 1058 Nelson and 3256 West 2nd still have their buildings from before 1946, 1058 Nelson on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 5895 Chester (2001) and 2453 East 27th (1973) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1043 Barclay, 1020 Melville, 1235 West 11th, 1967 West 2nd and 3092 Willow, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred); for 436 East Hastings, its page says what we could and couldn't match to today's buildings.

Every line as printed

All 29 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 Pennys

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Penny 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.