Vancouver / Names / S / Simpson / Robson Street

A family name on Robson Street, West End and Downtown

The Simpsons

In the city directories 1940 · four people at two addresses

The directories print four people named Simpson at two addresses in 1940, all on Robson 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

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

    1420 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs R Simpson, rooms to let 1940
    • W Simpson, a helper at the Georgia Hotel 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M Crawford at 1402 and A Haraldsen at 1428. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1689 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • W A Simpson, retired 1940
    • Olive A Simpson, a saleswoman at Shores 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs G Parkinson at 1677. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the four: a helper and a saleswoman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (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 1420 Robson Street. By 1940 it is Mrs R Simpson, rooms to let. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists William Simpson there as the householder, a helper at the Georgia Hotel.

W A Simpson is listed at 1689 Robson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Walter A Simpson there as the householder, retired, with Olive A Simpson, a saleswoman at Shores.

Today

1689 Robson still has its building from before 1946, dated 1911 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1420 Robson, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 6 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 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.

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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.