Vancouver / Names / S / Smethurst

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Smethursts

In the city directories 1940 · five people at four addresses

The directories print five people named Smethurst at four addresses in 1940 in three of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family.

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 Smethursts 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

    5861 Blenheim Street

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • J H Smethurst, a city manager for Excelsior Life 1940
    • Alice Smethurst 1940

    Next door in 1940: J H Gordon at 5837. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1433 Harwood Street

    West End, 1940

    • Herbert G H Smethurst, a parts manager at J M Brown Motor 1940

    Next door in 1940: E G Blackwell at 1419 and R L Roys at 1447. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2090 West 2nd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • R G Smethurst, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: G F Hanson at 2088 and Nicholson Ltd at 2092. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2190 West 4th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Margaret Smethurst, a saleswoman at Kresges 1940

    Next door in 1940: A C Giles at 2194. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the five: a city manager, a parts manager, a salesman and a saleswoman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (2), Dunbar-Southlands 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

In 1940 the directory lists J H Smethurst at 5861 Blenheim 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 James H Smethurst there as the householder, a city manager for Excelsior Life, with Alice Smethurst. The 1940 name section lists Herbert G H Smethurst at 1433 Harwood Street, a parts manager at J M Brown Motor.

R G Smethurst is listed at 2090 West 2nd Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Robert G Smethurst there as the householder, a salesman. The 1940 name section lists Margaret Smethurst at 2190 West 4th Avenue, a saleswoman at Kresges.

Today

5861 Blenheim still has its building from before 1946, dated 1936 by the City's record; 1433 Harwood (1959) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 2090 West 2nd and 2190 West 4th, 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 Smethursts

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Smethurst 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.