A family name on West 7th Avenue, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Fairview and West Point Grey
The Simpsons
In the city directories 1940 · five people at two addresses
The directories print five people named Simpson at two addresses in 1940, all on West 7th Avenue. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: four Simpsons at 1999 West 7th in 1940. 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
141 West 7th Avenue
Mount Pleasant, 1940
- John Simpson, a cleaner at Royal Trust 1940
Next door in 1940: P R Crain at 123 and Q Gow at 147. The block, door by door
- 2
1999 West 7th Avenue
Kitsilano, 1940
- A W Simpson, a logger 1940
- David Simpson, a logger 1940
- Elizabeth S Simpson, a saleswoman at Spencer's 1940
- Helen W Simpson, a seamstress at Spencer's 1940
Next door in 1940: J G Bilodeau at 1987. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for all five: a logger (2), a cleaner, a saleswoman and a seamstress. Two of them worked for Spencer's.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Kitsilano and Mount Pleasant. 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 John Simpson at 141 West 7th Avenue, a cleaner at Royal Trust. A W Simpson is listed at 1999 West 7th 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 Andrew W Simpson there as the householder, a logger, with David Simpson, a logger, Elizabeth S Simpson, a saleswoman at Spencer's, and Helen W Simpson, a seamstress at Spencer's.
Today
The City no longer lists 141 West 7th and 1999 West 7th, so those buildings are 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.
- Simpson John clnr Royal Trust141 West 7th, p. 562
- *Simpson A W1999 West 7th, p. 192
- Simpson Andw W logr1999 West 7th, p. 561
- Simpson David logr1999 West 7th, p. 561
- Simpson Eliz S slswm Spencer's1999 West 7th, p. 561
- Simpson Helen W smstrs Spencer's1999 West 7th, p. 562
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
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.