Vancouver / Names / S / Swain

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Swains

In the city directories 1940 · 16 people at 13 addresses

The directories print 16 people named Swain at 13 addresses in 1940 in ten 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 Swains at 1168 East Hastings 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 Swains 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

    1345 Comox Street

    West End, 1940

    • Gay Swain 1940

    Next door in 1940: E H Julien at 1337. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1931 Creelman Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • E C Swain, a salesman at Vancouver Floral 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs F I A Hopkins at 1911 and Mrs M Tawse at 1933. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    4967 Earles Street

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • L W Swain, a stage operator at BC Motor Transportation 1940

    Next door in 1940: Bethel Mission at 4935 and Mrs M G Dickinson at 4981. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1516 East 10th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • B W Swain, a baker 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs D S Wallace at 1502 and H Farhoof at 1526. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1523 East 3rd Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • B W Swain, a decorator 1940
    • Jessie C Swain 1940

    Next door in 1940: T Docker at 1519 and Mrs L J Postill at 1525. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1168 East Hastings Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • G H Swain, proprietor of the Vernon Apartments 1940
    • Alice A Swain 1940
    • Laura Swain, widow of E 1940

    Next door in 1940: Natl Dairies Ltd at 1132 and D McM Blackstock at 1172. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    2503 Franklin Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • Albert V Swain, proprietor of Swain's Old Country Bakery 1940

    Next door in 1940: J D Henderson at 2507. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    1025 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Gilbert B Swain, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: W C Stearman at 1023 and Plaza Hotel at 1029. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    3642 Kingsway

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • Archibald T Swain, a managing director at the Central Park Funeral Home 1940

    Next door in 1940: Looms Spider at 3618 and B C Tel at 3646. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    1115 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • John Swain 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A Davis at 1111 and W A Campbell at 1117. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    1526 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • John Swain, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: E W Kingston at 1542. The block, door by door

  12. 12

    2028 West 36th Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • C F Swain, an agent for Northwestern Mutual 1940

    Next door in 1940: H Doyle at 2020 and Dr W J S Millar at 2034. The block, door by door

  13. 13

    4796 West 4th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • G H Swain, a manager for Northwestern Mutual 1940

    Next door in 1940: O G Davis at 4786. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for ten of the 16: a proprietor (2), a salesman (2), an agent, a baker, a decorator and a manager, among others. Two of them worked for Northwestern Mutual. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (3), Renfrew-Collingwood (2), Downtown, Grandview-Woodland, Hastings-Sunrise, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kitsilano, Shaughnessy, Strathcona 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 Gay Swain at 1345 Comox Street. E C Swain is listed at 1931 Creelman Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Eric C Swain there as the householder, a salesman at Vancouver Floral.

L W Swain is listed at 4967 Earles 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 Leslie W Swain there as the householder, a stage operator at BC Motor Transportation. B W Swain is listed at 1516 East 10th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Bernard W Swain there as the householder, a baker.

B W Swain is listed at 1523 East 3rd Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Benjamin W Swain there as the householder, a decorator, with Jessie C Swain. G H Swain is listed at 1168 East Hastings Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists George H Swain there as the householder, proprietor of the Vernon Apartments, with Alice A Swain, and Laura Swain, widow of E.

The 1940 name section lists Albert V Swain at 2503 Franklin Street, proprietor of Swain's Old Country Bakery. The 1940 name section lists Gilbert B Swain at 1025 Granville Street, a salesman. The 1940 name section lists Archibald T Swain at 3642 Kingsway, a managing director at the Central Park Funeral Home. The 1940 name section lists John Swain at 1115 Nelson Street.

The 1940 name section lists John Swain at 1526 Nelson Street, retired. In 1940 the directory lists C F Swain at 2028 West 36th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Chester F Swain there as the householder, an agent for Northwestern Mutual.

In 1940 the directory lists G H Swain at 4796 West 4th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists George H Swain there as the householder, a manager for Northwestern Mutual.

Today

4967 Earles, 1516 East 10th, 1168 East Hastings, 2503 Franklin, 1025 Granville, 3642 Kingsway, 2028 West 36th and 4796 West 4th still have their buildings from before 1946, 1025 Granville on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 1345 Comox (1983), 1931 Creelman (1978) and 1115 Nelson (1969) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1523 East 3rd and 1526 Nelson, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 23 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 Swains

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Swain 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.