Vancouver / Names / R / Rooke

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Rookes

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at five addresses

The directories print seven people named Rooke at five 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: three Rookes at 2129 William 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 Rookes 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

    4725 Blenheim Street

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • C E Rooke, an accountant at the Royal Bank 1940

    Next door in 1940: R D Hammersley at 4707 and T H Clark at 4741. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    950 East 28th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • C L Rooke, a mechanic 1940

    Next door in 1940: C Dickinson at 942 and J McK Duncan at 966. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    6145 Larch Street

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • Gertrude B Rooke, an operator at the BC Telephone 1940

    Next door in 1940: M W Madden at 6125 and F H Bellis at 6157. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3756 West 6th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • Mary J Rooke, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: T T Horrobin at 3744 and H S Skinner at 3768. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    2129 William Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • G T Rooke, a driver 1940
    • J Rooke, a millworker at Sterling Lumber 1940
    • Windsor G Rooke, a messenger at Crown Cartage 1940

    Next door in 1940: G E Sparrow at 2123 and S S Oddson at 2137. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the seven: an accountant, a driver, a mechanic, a messenger, a millworker and an operator. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Dunbar-Southlands, Grandview-Woodland, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kerrisdale 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

In 1940 the directory lists C E Rooke at 4725 Blenheim Street; 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 Charles E Rooke there as the householder, an accountant at the Royal Bank. In 1940 the directory lists C L Rooke at 950 East 28th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Charles L Rooke there as the householder, a mechanic.

The 1940 name section lists Gertrude B Rooke at 6145 Larch Street, an operator at the BC Telephone. The 1940 name section lists Mary J Rooke at 3756 West 6th Avenue, widow of J. In 1940 the directory lists G T Rooke at 2129 William Street. The 1940 name section lists George T Rooke there as the householder, a driver, with J Rooke, a millworker at Sterling Lumber, and Windsor G Rooke, a messenger at Crown Cartage.

Today

2129 William still has its building from before 1946, dated 1910 by the City's record; 4725 Blenheim (2015), 950 East 28th (1981) and 6145 Larch (1989) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 3756 West 6th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 10 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 Rookes

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Rooke 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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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.