Vancouver / Names / P / Purdon

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Purdons

In the city directories 1940 · 13 people at six addresses

The directories print 13 people named Purdon at six addresses in 1940 in five 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: four Purdons at 3906 West 36th 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 Purdons 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

    351 East 36th Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • W Purdon, an engineer 1940
    • Cath S Purdon, a stenographer at Electric Power Equipment 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Drinkwater at 343 and J Harvie at 365. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2530 Hemlock Street

    Fairview, 1940

    • Mrs Cora P Purdon, proprietor of French Beauty Salon 1940

    Next door in 1940: H Gidley at 2526 and renfrew lodge at 2570. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    765 Victoria Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Mrs C E Purdon, widow of A 1940
    • Charles W Purdon 1940
    • Jean Purdon, a saleswoman at Woodward's 1940

    Next door in 1940: G Judd at 715. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1275 West 11th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Ida M Purdon, widow of H 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs C McLellan at 1265 and A J M McFarlane at 1285. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    3906 West 36th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • R H F Purdon, retired 1940
    • A Felicite Purdon, a stenographer at Davis Pugh Hossie Lett & Marshall 1940
    • Mary N G Purdon, a commercial artist 1940
    • Richard M H Purdon, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: R C Rose at 3938. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    2870 West 38th Avenue

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • R Purdon, retired 1940
    • Janet S Purdon 1940

    Next door in 1940: E Fountain at 2862 and W Dover at 2878. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the 13: a stenographer (2), a commercial artist, an engineer, a proprietor and a saleswoman. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview (2), Arbutus Ridge, Dunbar-Southlands, Grandview-Woodland and Riley Park. 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 W Purdon at 351 East 36th 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, where each person's work is printed, lists William Purdon there as the householder, an engineer, with Cath S Purdon, a stenographer at Electric Power Equipment. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Cora P Purdon at 2530 Hemlock Street, proprietor of French Beauty Salon.

Mrs C E Purdon is listed at 765 Victoria Drive in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Constance E Purdon there as the householder, widow of A, with Charles W Purdon, and Jean Purdon, a saleswoman at Woodward's. The 1940 name section lists Ida M Purdon at 1275 West 11th Avenue, widow of H.

In 1940 the directory lists R H F Purdon at 3906 West 36th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Richard H F Purdon there as the householder, retired, with A Felicite Purdon, a stenographer at Davis Pugh Hossie Lett & Marshall, Mary N G Purdon, a commercial artist, and Richard M H Purdon, a student. In 1940 the directory lists R Purdon at 2870 West 38th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Robert Purdon there as the householder, retired, with Janet S Purdon.

Today

351 East 36th and 765 Victoria Drive still have their buildings from before 1946; 3906 West 36th (2014) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 2530 Hemlock, 1275 West 11th and 2870 West 38th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 17 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 Purdons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Purdon 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.