A family name on Davie Street, West End and Downtown
The Thomsons
In the city directories 1940 · three people at three addresses
The directories print three people named Thomson at three addresses in 1940, all on Davie Street, with the close spellings Thomason and Thomasson. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 119 other streets too, all listed on the Thomson 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 Thomsons lived
- 1
401 Davie Street
Downtown, 1940
- E Thomson 1940
Next door in 1940: W A Koch at 413. The block, door by door
- 2
830 Davie Street
Downtown, 1940
- Benjamin Thomson, a salesman 1940
Next door in 1940: R McDonald at 836. The block, door by door
- 3
916 Davie Street
Downtown, 1940
- S Thomson, a photographer 1940
Next door in 1940: Y Sugaya at 914 and H Buckholtz at 920. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for two of the three: a photographer and a salesman.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Downtown (3). 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 E Thomson at 401 Davie Street. The 1940 name section lists Benjamin Thomson at 830 Davie Street, a salesman. In 1940 the directory lists S Thomson, a photographer, at 916 Davie Street. The 1940 name section lists Stuart Thomson there, a photographer.
Today
The City no longer lists 401 Davie, 830 Davie and 916 Davie, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 4 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
The book of the Thomsons
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Thomson 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.