A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Rochesters
In the city directories 1940 · three people at three addresses
The directories print three people named Rochester at three addresses in 1940 in two 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 Rochesters lived
- 1
845 Davie Street
Downtown, 1940
- Mary Rochester, widow of A 1940
Next door in 1940: Mrs M Milligan at 839 and United Electric at 847. The block, door by door
- 2
1533 Maple Street
Kitsilano, 1940
- E M Rochester, retired 1940
Next door in 1940: E E Teal at 1521 and Mrs K M Barriscale at 1541. The block, door by door
- 3
2970 West 5th Avenue
Kitsilano, 1940
- E P Rochester, a driver at the City of Vancouver 1940
Next door in 1940: W J M Tiffin at 2964 and E J Proctor at 2974. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for one of the three: a driver. One is a widow, listed under her own name.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Kitsilano (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
The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Mary Rochester at 845 Davie Street, widow of A. E M Rochester is listed at 1533 Maple 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 Edwin M Rochester there as the householder, retired.
E P Rochester is listed at 2970 West 5th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Ernest P Rochester there as the householder, a driver at the City of Vancouver.
Today
1533 Maple and 2970 West 5th still have their buildings from before 1946, 2970 West 5th on the Vancouver Heritage Register; the City no longer lists 845 Davie, so that building is probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 5 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Rochester Mary wid A845 Davie, p. 528
- *Rochester E M1533 Maple, p. 110
- Rochester Edwin M retired1533 Maple, p. 528
- *Rochester E P2970 West 5th, p. 185
- Rochester Ernest P drvr Van City2970 West 5th, p. 528
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
The book of the Rochesters
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Rochester 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.
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.