Vancouver / Names / R / Robertson / Nelson Street

A family name on Nelson Street, West End and Downtown

The Robertsons

In the city directories 1940 · three people at three addresses

The directories print three people named Robertson at three addresses in 1940, all on Nelson Street. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 150 other streets too, all listed on the Robertson name's own page.

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 Robertsons 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

    840 Nelson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • D B Robertson, a fisherman 1940

    Next door in 1940: Oke & Duke at 808. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1770 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Archibald M Robertson, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs H Mantey at 1756 and I T Davies at 1772. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2075 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • D F Robertson, a salesman for G Straith 1940

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the three: a fisherman and a salesman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (2) and Downtown. 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 D B Robertson at 840 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists David B Robertson there as the householder, a fisherman. The 1940 name section lists Archibald M Robertson at 1770 Nelson Street, retired.

D F Robertson is listed at 2075 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Doug F Robertson there as the householder, a salesman for G Straith.

Today

The City no longer lists 840 Nelson, 1770 Nelson and 2075 Nelson, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges
About 1915 Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges. Not at the house at 840 Nelson: no archive photo of the 800 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, Str P181.2. Public domain.

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 Robertsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Robertson 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 R. Want a name removed? Tell us.