A family name on Renfrew Street, Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood
The Simpsons
In the city directories 1940 · three people at two addresses
The directories print three people named Simpson at two addresses in 1940, all on Renfrew Street. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 119 other streets too, all listed on the Simpson 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 Simpsons lived
- 1
155 Renfrew Street
Hastings-Sunrise, 1940
- W Simpson, a weighman at the Board of Grain Commissioners 1940
- Irene Simpson, a saleswoman at Canadian Wind Bakeries 1940
Next door in 1940: A Turnock at 135 and E W Suffield at 165. The block, door by door
- 2
2406 Renfrew Street
Hastings-Sunrise, 1940
- J B Simpson, an accountant at BC Conveying Machinery 1940
Next door in 1940: R A Armstrong at 2416. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for all three: an accountant, a saleswoman and a weighman.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Hastings-Sunrise (2). 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 Simpson at 155 Renfrew 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 William Simpson there as the householder, a weighman at the Board of Grain Commissioners, with Irene Simpson, a saleswoman at Canadian Wind Bakeries. In 1940 the directory lists J B Simpson at 2406 Renfrew Street. The 1940 name section lists John B Simpson there as the householder, an accountant at BC Conveying Machinery.
Today
155 Renfrew still has its building from before 1946, dated 1927 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 2406 Renfrew, 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.
- *Simpson W155 Renfrew, p. 140
- Simpson Irene slswm Can Wind Bkries155 Renfrew, p. 562
- Simpson Wm weighmn Bd of Grain Comrs155 Renfrew, p. 562
- Simpson J B2406 Renfrew, p. 140
- Simpson John B acct BC Conveying Machy2406 Renfrew, p. 562
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Simpsons
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Simpson 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 S. Want a name removed? Tell us.