Vancouver / Names / S / Spicer

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Spicers

In the city directories 1940 · ten people at eight addresses

The directories print ten people named Spicer at eight addresses in 1940 in five 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 Spicers at 842 East 11th 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 Spicers 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

    1535 Arbutus Street

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mrs H M Spicer, widow of P E 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs S Fletcher at 1539. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1558 Comox Street

    West End, 1940

    • James Spicer 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs O M Gourlie at 1550 and C E Booth at 1560. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1775 Davie Street

    West End, 1940

    • Steph E Spicer, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: C S Chadwick at 1773 and Safeway Stores at 1783. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    842 East 11th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • P K Spicer, a charge hand at the Burrard Dry Dock 1940
    • Emma M Spicer 1940
    • Mary M Spicer, a stenographer 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A Pollock at 836 and S Clements at 848. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    332 Robson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Harvey Spicer, a mechanic 1940

    Next door in 1940: R Dorn at 334. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    2271 Waterloo Street

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • C L Spicer, a serviceman 1940

    Next door in 1940: H Gowdridge at 2261 and Mrs B Bennett at 2281. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    1264 West 14th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Branton H C Spicer, a wireless operator 1940

    Next door in 1940: A H Grant at 1254 and L S Mounce at 1276. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    1125 West 8th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Ernest Spicer, a carpenter 1940

    Next door in 1940: B W Burns at 1101 and C Boyes at 1135. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for seven of the ten: a carpenter, a charge hand, a mechanic, a salesman, a serviceman and a stenographer, among others. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview (2), Kitsilano (2), West End (2), Downtown 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

In 1940 the directory lists Mrs H M Spicer at 1535 Arbutus 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 Hortense M Spicer there as the householder, widow of P E. The 1940 name section lists James Spicer at 1558 Comox Street. The 1940 name section lists Steph E Spicer at 1775 Davie Street, a salesman.

In 1940 the directory lists P K Spicer at 842 East 11th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Philip K Spicer there as the householder, a charge hand at the Burrard Dry Dock, with Emma M Spicer, and Mary M Spicer, a stenographer. The 1940 name section lists Harvey Spicer at 332 Robson Street, a mechanic.

C L Spicer is listed at 2271 Waterloo Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Clif L Spicer there as the householder, a serviceman. The 1940 name section lists Branton H C Spicer at 1264 West 14th Avenue, a wireless operator. The 1940 name section lists Ernest Spicer at 1125 West 8th Avenue, a carpenter.

Today

1535 Arbutus, 1558 Comox, 842 East 11th and 2271 Waterloo still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 1775 Davie, 332 Robson, 1264 West 14th and 1125 West 8th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 13 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 Spicers

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Spicer 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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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.