Vancouver / Names / R / Robinson / West Broadway

A family name on West Broadway, Fairview, Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano and West Point Grey

The Robinsons

In the city directories 1940 · eleven people at six addresses

The directories print eleven people named Robinson at six addresses in 1940, all on West Broadway. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: three Robinsons at 215 West Broadway in 1940. The directories print the name on 145 other streets too, all listed on the Robinson 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 Robinsons 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

    215 West Broadway

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Annie Robinson, widow of W J 1940
    • Harry Robinson, a seaman 1940
    • Sid Robinson 1940

    Next door in 1940: T J C Milliken at 201 and D McDonald at 243. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    640 West Broadway

    Fairview, 1940

    • D Robinson, a caulker at the Burrard Dry Dock 1940
    • Edwin Robinson 1940
    • Maisie Robinson, a stenographer at General Appraisal 1940

    Next door in 1940: 4 listings at 638 and A Shrimpton at 642. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    691 West Broadway

    Fairview, 1940

    • F G Robinson, proprietor of Broadway Florists 1940

    Next door in 1940: Service Gar at 685 and Box Beauty at 695. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    999 West Broadway

    Fairview, 1940

    • Sam Robinson, a janitor at the First Unitarian Church 1940

    Next door in 1940: W M Gerow at 995. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    2133 West Broadway

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • J L Robinson, a secretary at Canadian Legion Naval Vets 1940
    • Dorothy Robinson 1940

    Next door in 1940: C S Newton at 2125 and Mrs H K Donnelly at 2135. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    3878 West Broadway

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • G E Robinson, a vice-president for W Robinson 1940

    Next door in 1940: M A Bush at 3870 and W E Fitzpatrick at 3886. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for seven of the eleven: a caulker, a janitor, a proprietor, a seaman, a secretary and a stenographer, among others. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview (3), Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Annie Robinson at 215 West Broadway, widow of W J, with Harry Robinson, a seaman, and Sid Robinson. D Robinson is listed at 640 West Broadway in 1940. The 1940 name section lists David Robinson there as the householder, a caulker at the Burrard Dry Dock, with Edwin Robinson, and Maisie Robinson, a stenographer at General Appraisal.

F G Robinson is listed at 691 West Broadway in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Francis G Robinson there as the householder, proprietor of Broadway Florists. The 1940 name section lists Sam Robinson at 999 West Broadway, a janitor at the First Unitarian Church.

In 1940 the directory lists J L Robinson at 2133 West Broadway. The 1940 name section lists James L Robinson there as the householder, a secretary at Canadian Legion Naval Vets, with Dorothy Robinson. In 1940 the directory lists G E Robinson at 3878 West Broadway; 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 George E Robinson there as the householder, a vice-president for W Robinson.

Today

3878 West Broadway still has its building from before 1946, dated 1938 by the City's record; 999 West Broadway (1972) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 215 West Broadway, 640 West Broadway, 691 West Broadway and 2133 West Broadway, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 15 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 Robinsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Robinson 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.

One email, when it's ready. We use your email for nothing else and never share it. Privacy

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.