Vancouver / Names / S / Semple

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Semples

In the city directories 1940 · 15 people at ten addresses

The directories print 15 people named Semple at ten addresses in 1940 in seven 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 Semples at 276 West 18th 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 Semples lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. Three addresses aren't on today's map, so they have no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    1447 Barclay Street

    West End, 1940

    • Grace Semple, a waitress at the Hudson's Bay Company 1940

    Next door in 1940: Marlyn (The) at 1433 and G W Weeks at 1459. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1604 East 13th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • Bruce F Semple, a cook at Hedlund's 1940
  3. 3

    765 East 27th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • A Semple, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: Ruth Morton Memorial Baptist Ch at 791. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    664 West 11th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Jane Semple, widow of G 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Davidson at 654 and Mrs M Van Buskirk at 676. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    276 West 18th Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • S N Semple, a blacksmith at Burns & Co 1940
    • Grace A Semple, a saleswoman 1940
    • Pearl Semple 1940

    Next door in 1940: S Ribarits at 262 and C C McLachlan at 286. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    911 West 26th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • G Semple, in shoes 1940
    • Matilda M Semple, a bookkeeper for G Semple 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Brooks at 905 and G Booth at 917. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    2766 West 30th Avenue

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • J Semple, a president at J Semple & Co 1940
    • Robert E Semple, a student at UBC 1940

    Next door in 1940: H J Sedgwick at 2756 and H S Lyon at 2776. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2796 West 38th Avenue

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • W Semple, a porter at the BC Coast Steamship Service 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss A L Holloway at 2786. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    2815 West 38th Avenue

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • W G Semple, a bookkeeper at the Union Steamship Company 1940
    • Gordon S Semple, a bricklayer 1940

    Next door in 1940: W L Patterson at 2823. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    305 West Hastings Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • G Semple, in shoes 1940

    Next door in 1940: Moler Hairdrsg Sch at 303 and London Shoe Renew at 307. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for ten of the 15: a bookkeeper (2), a blacksmith, a bricklayer, a cook, a porter and a president, among others. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Arbutus Ridge (3), Kensington-Cedar Cottage (2), Downtown, Mount Pleasant, Riley Park, South Cambie and West End. 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 Grace Semple at 1447 Barclay Street, a waitress at the Hudson's Bay Company. The 1940 name section lists Bruce F Semple at 1604 East 13th Avenue, a cook at Hedlund's. In 1940 the directory lists A Semple at 765 East 27th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Archibald Semple there as the householder, retired.

The 1940 name section lists Jane Semple at 664 West 11th Avenue, widow of G. S N Semple is listed at 276 West 18th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Sam N Semple there as the householder, a blacksmith at Burns & Co, with Grace A Semple, a saleswoman, and Pearl Semple.

G Semple is listed at 911 West 26th Avenue 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 Gabriel Semple there as the householder, in shoes, with Matilda M Semple, a bookkeeper for G Semple. J Semple is listed at 2766 West 30th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists James Semple there as the householder, a president at J Semple & Co, with Robert E Semple, a student at UBC.

W Semple is listed at 2796 West 38th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Wilfred Semple there as the householder, a porter at the BC Coast Steamship Service. W G Semple is listed at 2815 West 38th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists William G Semple there as the householder, a bookkeeper at the Union Steamship Company, with Gordon S Semple, a bricklayer.

G Semple, in shoes, is listed at 305 West Hastings Street in 1940.

Today

1447 Barclay, 765 East 27th, 276 West 18th and 2766 West 30th still have their buildings from before 1946, 1447 Barclay on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 1604 East 13th (2015) and 2815 West 38th (2003) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 664 West 11th, 911 West 26th, 2796 West 38th and 305 West Hastings, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 21 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 Semples

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Semple 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 S. Want a name removed? Tell us.