Vancouver / Names / T / Thompson / Nelson Street

A family name on Nelson Street, West End and Downtown

The Thompsons

In the city directories 1940 · eight people at six addresses

The directories print eight people named Thompson at six addresses in 1940, all on Nelson Street. 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 Thompsons at 1846 Nelson in 1940. The directories print the name on 175 other streets too, all listed on the Thompson 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 Thompsons 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

    1058 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • H Thompson, an importer 1940

    Next door in 1940: Star Garage at 1042 and L E Collum at 1070. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1138 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Ralph A Thompson, a warehouseman at CP Express 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss G Morton at 1132 and T W Pluto at 1144. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1835 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Marjorie M Thompson, a stenographer for C Claman 1940

    Next door in 1940: sandringham (the) at 1853. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1846 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • R W Thompson, retired 1940
    • Alan Thompson 1940
    • Dorothy A Thompson, a clerk at the Royal Bank 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss A Schimmer at 1826 and Miss L E Fowler at 1860. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1911 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Johan Thompson, widow of R 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Snider at 1925. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    2075 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • C E Thompson, a manager at Vancouver Motors 1940

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the eight: a clerk, an importer, a manager director, a stenographer and a warehouseman. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (6). 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 H Thompson at 1058 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Harry Thompson there as the householder, an importer. The 1940 name section lists Ralph A Thompson at 1138 Nelson Street, a warehouseman at CP Express. The 1940 name section lists Marjorie M Thompson at 1835 Nelson Street, a stenographer for C Claman.

In 1940 the directory lists R W Thompson at 1846 Nelson 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 lists Ross W Thompson there as the householder, retired, with Alan Thompson, and Dorothy A Thompson, a clerk at the Royal Bank. The 1940 name section lists Johan Thompson at 1911 Nelson Street, widow of R.

C E Thompson is listed at 2075 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Charles E Thompson there as the householder, a manager at Vancouver Motors.

Today

1058 Nelson and 1835 Nelson still have their buildings from before 1946, 1058 Nelson on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 1846 Nelson (1964) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1138 Nelson, 1911 Nelson and 2075 Nelson, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges
About 1915 Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges. Not at the house at 1846 Nelson: no archive photo of the 1800 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, Str P181.2. Public domain.

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 Thompsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Thompson 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 T. Want a name removed? Tell us.