Vancouver / Names / P / Purcell

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Purcells

In the city directories 1940 · ten people at eight addresses

The directories print ten people named Purcell at eight addresses in 1940 in eight 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 Purcells 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

    1133 Barclay Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs A Purcell, widow of E A 1940
    • Herbert W Purcell, a salesman at Hall Holland 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Graham at 1131 and W Fergen at 1135. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    4577 Commercial Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • J E Purcell, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: J R Kinnaird at 4569 and J Van Laare at 4585. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    101 East 7th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Gordon P Purcell, a steelworker 1940

    Next door in 1940: Salv Army at 125. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1084 Homer Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • A Purcell, in oils 1940

    Next door in 1940: Johnston R E Co at 1070 and harrisons & crosfield at 1086. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    720 West 19th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • O L Purcell, an assistant operator at Second Narrows Bridge 1940

    Next door in 1940: J A McLaren at 706 and L L Ringel at 722. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    4404 West 3rd Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • A Purcell, in oils and lubricants 1940

    Next door in 1940: H C Darroch at 4414. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    3570 West 42nd Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • G W Purcell, a chief clerk at the Liquor Control Board 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss D Lovering at 3562 and C G Graham at 3578. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2325 West 8th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • N W Purcell, retired 1940
    • William K Purcell 1940

    Next door in 1940: C D Watt at 2315 and S Burnley at 2335. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the ten: an assistant operator, a chief clerk, an oils and lubricants, a salesman and a steelworker. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown, Dunbar-Southlands, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, South Cambie, West End and West Point Grey. 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 Mrs A Purcell at 1133 Barclay Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Anne Purcell there as the householder, widow of E A, with Herbert W Purcell, a salesman at Hall Holland. In 1940 the directory lists J E Purcell at 4577 Commercial 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 lists Joseph E Purcell there as the householder, retired.

The 1940 name section lists Gordon P Purcell at 101 East 7th Avenue, a steelworker. A Purcell, in oils, is listed at 1084 Homer Street in 1940. In 1940 the directory lists O L Purcell at 720 West 19th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Omar L Purcell there as the householder, an assistant operator at Second Narrows Bridge.

In 1940 the directory lists A Purcell at 4404 West 3rd Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Alfred Purcell there as the householder, in oils and lubricants. In 1940 the directory lists G W Purcell at 3570 West 42nd Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists George W Purcell there as the householder, a chief clerk at the Liquor Control Board.

In 1940 the directory lists N W Purcell at 2325 West 8th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Nathaniel W Purcell there as the householder, retired, with William K Purcell.

Today

101 East 7th and 2325 West 8th still have their buildings from before 1946, 101 East 7th on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 1133 Barclay (1956), 4577 Commercial (1985) and 3570 West 42nd (2005) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1084 Homer, 720 West 19th and 4404 West 3rd, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

The Sutherland wedding party with their flowers at 1901 Barclay Street
9 September 1932 The Sutherland wedding party with their flowers at 1901 Barclay Street. Not at the house at 1133 Barclay: no archive photo of the 1100 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 99-4256. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 16 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 Purcells

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Purcell 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.