Vancouver / Names / S / Somersby

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Somersbys

In the city directories 1940 · two people at two addresses

The directories print two people named Somersby at two addresses in 1940, all on Fraser Street. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: 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 Somersbys 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

    6084 Fraser Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • R Somersby, of Gem Cafe 1940

    Next door in 1940: Fraser Photo Studio at 6082 and Fraser Florists at 6090. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    6126 Fraser Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • J D Somersby, of Gem Cafe 1940

    Next door in 1940: Beauty Shoppe De Lila at 6124 and C W Sutherland at 6128. The block, door by door

What they did

Two of them worked for Gem Cafe.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Sunset (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 R Somersby at 6084 Fraser Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Robert Somersby there as the householder, of Gem Cafe. In 1940 the directory lists J D Somersby at 6126 Fraser Street. The 1940 name section lists John D Somersby there as the householder, of Gem Cafe.

Today

6126 Fraser still has its building from before 1946, dated 1912 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 6084 Fraser, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

The Hilton Dairy staff lined up outside the dairy at 6395 Fraser Street
17 March 1936 The Hilton Dairy staff lined up outside the dairy at 6395 Fraser Street. Not at the house at 6084 Fraser: no archive photo of the 6000 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 99-4867. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 4 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 Somersbys

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Somersby 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.