Vancouver / Names / T / Thomas / Charles Street

A family name on Charles Street, Grandview-Woodland, Strathcona and Hastings-Sunrise

The Thomases

In the city directories 1940 · two people at two addresses

The directories print two people named Thomas at two addresses in 1940, all on Charles Street, with the close spelling Thoms. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 126 other streets too, all listed on the Thomas name's own page.

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 Thomases 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

    1616 Charles Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Mrs R Thomas, widow of H O 1940

    Next door in 1940: N H Schooley at 1622. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2505 Charles Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • F G Thomas, a meat cutter 1940

    Next door in 1940: W P Rankin at 2511. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for one of the two: a meat cutter. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland and Hastings-Sunrise. 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 R Thomas at 1616 Charles 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 Rachel Thomas there as the householder, widow of H O. In 1940 the directory lists F G Thomas at 2505 Charles Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Frederick G Thomas there as the householder, a meat cutter.

Today

1616 Charles still has its building from before 1946, dated 1910 by the City's record; 2505 Charles (1996) has a newer building, by the City's record.

Firefighters with their horse-drawn wagons in front of Firehall No. 9 at Salsbury Drive and Charles Street
About 1910 Firefighters with their horse-drawn wagons in front of Firehall No. 9 at Salsbury Drive and Charles Street. Not at the house at 1616 Charles: no archive photo of the 1600 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 354-335. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 4 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 Thomases

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Thomas 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.

We're opening orders soon. Join the list to be first in line; we expect about $29 a family.

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 T. Want a name removed? Tell us.