Vancouver / Names / P / Purser

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Pursers

In the city directories 1940 · five people at four addresses

The directories print five people named Purser at four addresses in 1940 in four 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 Pursers 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

    220 Alexander Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Ralph E Purser, a fireman at Commodore Towing 1940

    Next door in 1940: D Machida at 230. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2834 Pandora Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • E Purser, a branch manager at Standard Importing 1940
    • Gordon M Purser, a branch manager at Standard Importing 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Plato at 2826 and J Baigent at 2858. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    570 Victoria Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • James Purser 1940

    Next door in 1940: F D Hicks at 562. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1101 West Broadway

    Fairview, 1940

    • A Purser, a caretaker at C N Institute 1940

    Next door in 1940: F A May at 1145. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the five: a branch manager, a caretaker and a fireman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview, Grandview-Woodland, Hastings-Sunrise and Strathcona. 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 Ralph E Purser at 220 Alexander Street, a fireman at Commodore Towing. E Purser is listed at 2834 Pandora 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 Edward Purser there as the householder, with Earl G Purser, a branch manager at Standard Importing, and Gordon M Purser, a branch manager at Standard Importing. The 1940 name section lists James Purser at 570 Victoria Drive.

In 1940 the directory lists A Purser at 1101 West Broadway. The 1940 name section lists Arthur Purser there as the householder, a caretaker at C N Institute, with Ann Purser, who worked for Star Laundry.

Today

220 Alexander still has its building from before 1946, dated 1927 by the City's record; 2834 Pandora (1983) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 570 Victoria Drive and 1101 West Broadway, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 9 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 Pursers

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Purser 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.