Vancouver / Names / S / Shelley

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Shelleys

In the city directories 1940 · nine people at five addresses

The directories print nine people named Shelley at five addresses in 1940 in four of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Shelly. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: four Shelleys at 1563 Matthews 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 Shelleys 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

    1563 Matthews Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • W C Shelly, a president at Pioneer Timber 1940
    • Harold E Shelly 1940
    • Leon C Shelly, who worked for Motion Skreenadz Ltd 1940
    • William B Shelly, a photographer at the Sun 1940

    Next door in 1940: J G Prentice at 1537 and Mrs D K Cruickshank at 1589. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    536 Prior Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Dora Shelley, a domestic 1940

    Next door in 1940: “Cabins” at 532 and C Stefani at 544. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1927 West 1st Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • F Shelley 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A S Bielby at 1923 and T A Kobayashi at 1935. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1617 West 4th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • J S Shelley, a baker at McGavin 1940
    • F Shelley, a painter 1940

    Next door in 1940: Jehovah's Witnesses at 1615 and Watch Tower Bible Soc at 1619. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    2079 West 5th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Charles Shelly, a decorator 1940

    Next door in 1940: W T Drinkhouse at 2075. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the nine: a baker, a decorator, a domestic, a painter, a photographer and a president.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (2), Fairview, Shaughnessy and Strathcona. 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 W C Shelly at 1563 Matthews Avenue; 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 William C Shelly there as the householder, a president at Pioneer Timber, with Harold E Shelly, Leon C Shelly, who worked for Motion Skreenadz Ltd, and William B Shelly, a photographer at the Sun. The 1940 name section lists Dora Shelley at 536 Prior Street, a domestic. F Shelley is listed at 1927 West 1st Avenue in 1940.

In 1940 the directory lists F Shelley at 1617 West 4th Avenue. By 1940 it is J S Shelley. The 1940 name section lists Jack S Shelley there as the householder, a baker at McGavin, with Frank Shelley, a painter. The 1940 name section lists Charles Shelly at 2079 West 5th Avenue, a decorator.

Today

1563 Matthews, 1617 West 4th and 2079 West 5th still have their buildings from before 1946, 1563 Matthews on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 536 Prior (1992) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1927 West 1st, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

A woman and a child in a car on Matthews Avenue
About 1925 A woman and a child in a car on Matthews Avenue. Not at the house at 1563 Matthews: no archive photo of the 1500 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 99-3545. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 12 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 Shelleys

Every directory, as one book

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