A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Singletons
In the city directories 1940 · 15 people at twelve addresses
The directories print 15 people named Singleton at twelve addresses in 1940 in nine of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: three Singletons at 1860 Robson 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 Singletons lived
- 1
5355 Aberdeen Street
Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940
- Clifton R Singleton, a salesman 1940
Next door in 1940: F Bailey at 5325. The block, door by door
- 2
7375 Blenheim Street
Dunbar-Southlands, 1940
- G F Singleton, a carpenter 1940
Next door in 1940: H Duque at 7325. The block, door by door
- 3
- 4
611 East 7th Avenue
Mount Pleasant, 1940
- F E Singleton 1940
Next door in 1940: J T Thomson at 653. The block, door by door
- 5
55 Powell Street
Downtown, 1940
- R J Singleton 1940
Next door in 1940: Salv Army Japanese Corps at 53. The block, door by door
- 6
7385 Prince Albert Street
Sunset, 1940
- James R Singleton, proprietor of Singleton Bros 1940
- Ellen R Singleton, widow of R 1940
Next door in 1940: W Abbott at 7369. The block, door by door
- 7
1860 Robson Street
West End, 1940
- J W Singleton, a machinist 1940
- H Dennis Singleton 1940
- Violet E Singleton, an operator at the BC Telephone 1940
Next door in 1940: richborough apts at 1840 and Mrs L E Atkins at 1898. The block, door by door
- 8
2412 Stephens Street
Kitsilano, 1940
- John P Singleton, a salesman at Burleigh & Partners 1940
Next door in 1940: H W Silvester at 2406 and V C Crofts at 2418. The block, door by door
- 9
3079 Turner Street
Hastings-Sunrise, 1940
- R W Singleton, a carpenter 1940
Next door in 1940: L F Tinong at 3043 and P McLaughlin at 3085. The block, door by door
- 10
3080 Turner Street
Hastings-Sunrise, 1940
- J E Singleton, proprietor of the Nature Hair Clinic 1940
Next door in 1940: E Davis at 3084. The block, door by door
- 11
1064 West 10th Avenue
Fairview, 1940
- R C Singleton 1940
Next door in 1940: H K Diebel at 1054 and House Soroptomist at 1066. The block, door by door
- 12
3230 West Broadway
Kitsilano, 1940
- D A Singleton, a steward 1940
Next door in 1940: I H Witty at 3220 and S A S S Swift at 3240. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for ten of the 15: a salesman (3), a carpenter (2), a proprietor (2), a machinist, an operator and a steward. One is a widow, listed under her own name.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Dunbar-Southlands (2), Hastings-Sunrise (2), Kitsilano (2), Downtown, Fairview, Mount Pleasant, Renfrew-Collingwood, Sunset and West End. 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 Clifton R Singleton at 5355 Aberdeen Street, a salesman. G F Singleton is listed at 7375 Blenheim Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists George F Singleton there as the householder, a carpenter.
H Singleton is listed at 5475 Dunbar Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Harold Singleton there as the householder, a salesman. F E Singleton is listed at 611 East 7th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists R J Singleton at 55 Powell Street.
The 1940 name section lists James R Singleton at 7385 Prince Albert Street as the householder, proprietor of Singleton Bros, with Ellen R Singleton, widow of R. In 1940 the directory lists J W Singleton at 1860 Robson Street. The 1940 name section lists John W Singleton there as the householder, a machinist, with H Dennis Singleton, and Violet E Singleton, an operator at the BC Telephone. The 1940 name section lists John P Singleton at 2412 Stephens Street, a salesman at Burleigh & Partners.
R W Singleton is listed at 3079 Turner Street 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 Robert W Singleton there as the householder, a carpenter. J E Singleton is listed at 3080 Turner Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists James E Singleton there as the householder, proprietor of the Nature Hair Clinic.
R C Singleton is listed at 1064 West 10th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists R Cline Singleton there as the householder. D A Singleton is listed at 3230 West Broadway in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists David A Singleton there as the householder, a steward.
Today
7375 Blenheim, 611 East 7th, 55 Powell and 2412 Stephens still have their buildings from before 1946, 55 Powell on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 5475 Dunbar (2010), 7385 Prince Albert (2018), 1860 Robson (1986) and 3080 Turner (1974) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 5355 Aberdeen, 3079 Turner, 1064 West 10th and 3230 West Broadway, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 22 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Singleton Clifton R slsmn5355 Aberdeen, p. 564
- Singleton G F7375 Blenheim, p. 14
- Singleton Geo F carp7375 Blenheim, p. 564
- Singleton H5475 Dunbar, p. 45
- Singleton Harold slsmn SD&W5475 Dunbar, p. 564
- Singleton F E611 East 7th, p. 190
- Singleton R J55 Powell, p. 564
- Singleton Ellen R wid R7385 Prince Albert, p. 564
- Singleton Jas R prop Singleton Bros7385 Prince Albert, p. 564
- Singleton J W1860 Robson, p. 144
- Singleton H Dennis1860 Robson, p. 564
- Singleton John W mach1860 Robson, p. 564
- Singleton Violet E opr BC Tel1860 Robson, p. 564
- Singleton John P slsmn Burleigh & Partners2412 Stephens, p. 564
- *Singleton R W3079 Turner, p. 159
- Singleton Robt W carp3079 Turner, p. 564
- Singleton J E3080 Turner, p. 159
- Singleton Jas E prop Nature Hair Clinic3080 Turner, p. 564
- Singleton R C1064 West 10th, p. 199
- Singleton R Cline1064 West 10th, p. 564
- *Singleton D A3230 West Broadway, p. 19
- Singleton David A steward3230 West Broadway, p. 564
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
The book of the Singletons
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Singleton 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.