Vancouver / Names / S / Surman

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Surmans

In the city directories 1940 · three people at two addresses

The directories print three people named Surman at two addresses in 1940 in Kensington-Cedar Cottage. 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 Surmans lived

  1. 1

    1916 East 35th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • S J Surman, a chipper at the McLean & Powell Iron Works 1940
    • Isabelle L Surman 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Glennie at 1906 and C P Hurley at 1952. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    4010 Fleming Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • L W Surman, a mechanic 1940

    Next door in 1940: W K Nevard at 4004 and R Carruthers at 4018. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the three: a chipper and a mechanic.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kensington-Cedar Cottage (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 S J Surman at 1916 East 35th Avenue; 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 Sam J Surman there as the householder, a chipper at the McLean & Powell Iron Works, with Isabelle L Surman. In 1940 the directory lists L W Surman at 4010 Fleming Street. The 1940 name section lists Lloyd W Surman there as the householder, a mechanic.

Today

1916 East 35th (1987) and 4010 Fleming (1993) have newer buildings, by the City's record.

Every line as printed

All 5 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 Surmans

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Surman 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.