Vancouver / Names / S / Symes

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Symeses

In the city directories 1940 · eight people at seven addresses

The directories print eight people named Symes at seven addresses in 1940 in six of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Symmes. 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 Symeses 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

    843 Cardero Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs M E Symmes 1940
    • Margaret R Symmes, a stenographer at J Richardson & Sons 1940

    Next door in 1940: A D Bates at 893. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    144 East Cordova Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Thomas Symes, a mariner 1940

    Next door in 1940: Fishermen's Union United at 138 and Peterson & Cowan Elev at 150. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1008 McLean Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Clara Symes, a saleswoman at Woodward's 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs L Addutt at 1010. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1746 West 11th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • A T Symes, a dealer at Fuller Brush 1940

    Next door in 1940: W J Hoy at 1736 and G B Coombe at 1754. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    814 West 14th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Constance M Symes, a housekeeper for Miss J J MacKenzie 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A Croll at 836. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1697 West 64th Avenue

    Marpole, 1940

    • F C Symes, a driver at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: W R Andrews at 1665 and S G McSpadden at 1699. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    3015 West Broadway

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Ken B Symes, a mechanic at The Workshop 1940

    Next door in 1940: N A Kay at 3019. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for seven of the eight: a dealer, a driver, a housekeeper, a mariner, a mechanic and a saleswoman, among others.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview (2), Downtown, Grandview-Woodland, Kitsilano, Marpole and West End. 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 M E Symmes at 843 Cardero Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Mrs Mabel E Symmes there as the householder, with Margaret R Symmes, a stenographer at J Richardson & Sons. The 1940 name section lists Thomas Symes at 144 East Cordova Street, a mariner. The 1940 name section lists Clara Symes at 1008 McLean Drive, a saleswoman at Woodward's.

In 1940 the directory lists A T Symes at 1746 West 11th 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 lists Archibald T Symes there as the householder, a dealer at Fuller Brush. The 1940 name section lists Constance M Symes at 814 West 14th Avenue, a housekeeper for Miss J J MacKenzie.

F C Symes is listed at 1697 West 64th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Frederick C Symes there as the householder, a driver at the City of Vancouver. The 1940 name section lists Ken B Symes at 3015 West Broadway, a mechanic at The Workshop.

Today

843 Cardero still has its building from before 1946, dated 1910 by the City's record; 144 East Cordova (2005) and 1697 West 64th (2016) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1008 McLean Drive, 1746 West 11th, 814 West 14th and 3015 West Broadway, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 11 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 Symeses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Symes 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.