Vancouver / Names / S / Sumner

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Sumners

In the city directories 1940 · 15 people at twelve addresses

The directories print 15 people named Sumner 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.

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 Sumners lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. One address isn't on today's map, so it has no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    1166 Alberni Street

    West End, 1940

    • Sumner (no first name printed) 1940

    Next door in 1940: Auto Metal & Radiator at 1160 and W A Webster at 1172. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    4396 Commercial Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • Jack Sumner, a crepeman at the Pacific Mills 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Bruzzese at 4386. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2088 Cornwall Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • George W Sumner, a clerk for A Murray 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E G Powell at 2086. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3951 Knight Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • Muriel N Sumner, widow of I W 1940

    Next door in 1940: T Murison at 3949. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    5338 Larch Street

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • Cyril H P Sumner, a bookkeeper at Jones Tent & Awning 1940
    • Mdme Clare Sumner, proprietor of the Kerrisdale Academy of Music 1940

    Next door in 1940: G H Johnston at 5364. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1225 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • G Sumner, a secretary at the Pacific Athletic Club 1940

    Next door in 1940: queen anne gardens at 1235. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    3596 Oxford Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • C J Sumner, a warehouse manager 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Karme at 3592. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2703 Ward Street

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • C R Sumner, a logger 1940

    Next door in 1940: A W Burr at 2711. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    3342 West 34th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • G E C Sumner, a sub station operator at the BC Electric Railway 1940
    • Dorothea S Sumner, a dressmaker 1940

    Next door in 1940: H F Whitley at 3376. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    2260 West 3rd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • J Sumner, a laborer at BC Concrete 1940

    Next door in 1940: S Singh at 2258 and G E Jessop at 2292. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    605 West 8th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • W Sumner, retired 1940
    • Alfred E Sumner, a plasterer 1940

    Next door in 1940: M Kope at 619. The block, door by door

  12. 12

    3731 West 8th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • E G Sumner, a checker at the CPR 1940

    Next door in 1940: M H Dunn at 3719 and J L Parkes at 3743. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for twelve of the 15: a bookkeeper, a checker, a clerk, a crepeman, a dressmaker and a laborer, among others. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kensington-Cedar Cottage (2), Kitsilano (2), West End (2), Arbutus Ridge, Dunbar-Southlands, Fairview, Hastings-Sunrise, Renfrew-Collingwood 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Sumner (no first name printed) at 1166 Alberni Street. The 1940 name section lists Jack Sumner at 4396 Commercial Street, a crepeman at the Pacific Mills. The 1940 name section lists George W Sumner at 2088 Cornwall Avenue, a clerk for A Murray. The 1940 name section lists Muriel N Sumner at 3951 Knight Street, widow of I W.

The 1940 name section lists Cyril H P Sumner at 5338 Larch Street as the householder, a bookkeeper at Jones Tent & Awning, with Mdme Clare Sumner, proprietor of the Kerrisdale Academy of Music. G Sumner is listed at 1225 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists George Sumner there as the householder, a secretary at the Pacific Athletic Club.

C J Sumner is listed at 3596 Oxford 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 Charles J Sumner there as the householder, a warehouse manager. C R Sumner is listed at 2703 Ward Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Charles R Sumner there as the householder, a logger.

G E C Sumner is listed at 3342 West 34th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists George E C Sumner there as the householder, a sub station operator at the BC Electric Railway, with Dorothea S Sumner, a dressmaker. J Sumner is listed at 2260 West 3rd Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists James Sumner there as the householder, a laborer at BC Concrete.

W Sumner is listed at 605 West 8th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists William Sumner there as the householder, retired, with Alfred E Sumner, a plasterer. E G Sumner is listed at 3731 West 8th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Eustace G Sumner there as the householder, a checker at the CPR.

Today

4396 Commercial, 1225 Nelson and 2703 Ward still have their buildings from before 1946; 1166 Alberni (1980) and 5338 Larch (2000) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 2088 Cornwall, 3951 Knight, 3596 Oxford, 3342 West 34th, 2260 West 3rd, 605 West 8th and 3731 West 8th, 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.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Sumners

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Sumner 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.