Vancouver / Names / S / Simpson / West Broadway

A family name on West Broadway, Fairview, Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano and West Point Grey

The Simpsons

In the city directories 1940 · five people at three addresses

The directories print five people named Simpson at three addresses in 1940, all on West Broadway. No first name or initials tie one address to another: 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

    453 West Broadway

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • E G Simpson, a mechanic 1940
    • Emily L Simpson, widow of W 1940

    Next door in 1940: H E Smith at 435 and Mrs J Visgak at 455. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    934 West Broadway

    Fairview, 1940

    • Miss M M Simpson 1940
    • Muriel M Simpson, a nurse at the Victorian Order of Nurses 1940

    Next door in 1940: W T Jasper at 924 and Mrs L Torrance at 944. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    3850 West Broadway

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • G Simpson, a sales manager at the BC Telephone 1940

    Next door in 1940: R C Davis at 3842 and W O Lowrey at 3856. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the five: a mechanic, a nurse and a sales manager. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview, Mount Pleasant and West Point Grey. 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 E G Simpson at 453 West Broadway. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Everett G Simpson there as the householder, a mechanic, with Emily L Simpson, widow of W. In 1940 the directory lists Miss M M Simpson at 934 West Broadway. The 1940 name section lists Muriel M Simpson there as the householder, a nurse at the Victorian Order of Nurses.

In 1940 the directory lists G Simpson at 3850 West Broadway; 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 George Simpson there as the householder, a sales manager at the BC Telephone.

Today

3850 West Broadway still has its building from before 1946, dated 1939 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 453 West Broadway and 934 West Broadway, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 7 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.

We're opening orders soon. Join the list to be first in line; we expect about $29 a family.

One email, when it's ready. We use your email for nothing else and never share it. Privacy

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.