Vancouver / Names / P / Poke

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Pokes

In the city directories 1940 · three people at two addresses

The directories print three people named Poke at two addresses in 1940 in two of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Pooke. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: 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 Pokes 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

    2812 Pandora Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • K E Pooke, a postman 1940
    • Lorne E Pooke, a salesman at Spencer's 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Anderson at 2816. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    731 West 17th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • J J Poke, a janitor at UBC 1940

    Next door in 1940: G E Blundell at 729 and Mrs S Osborne at 733. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for all three: a janitor, a postman and a salesman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Hastings-Sunrise and South Cambie. 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 K E Pooke at 2812 Pandora 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 Ken E Pooke there as the householder, a postman, with Lorne E Pooke, a salesman at Spencer's. In 1940 the directory lists J J Poke at 731 West 17th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists John J Poke there as the householder, a janitor at UBC.

Today

2812 Pandora (2015) and 731 West 17th (2017) have newer buildings, by the City's record.

Every line as printed

All 5 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 Pokes

Every directory, as one book

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