Vancouver / Names / T / Thomson / West 12th Avenue

A family name on West 12th Avenue, Fairview, Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano and West Point Grey

The Thomsons

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at five addresses

The directories print seven people named Thomson at five addresses in 1940, all on West 12th Avenue, 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 most under one roof: three Thomsons at 4649 West 12th in 1940. 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

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

    1686 West 12th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • G W Thomson, a department manager at Spencer's Model Market 1940

    Next door in 1940: G H Thompson at 1684 and J Barzman at 1696. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2266 West 12th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • William Thomson, a driver at McGavin 1940

    Next door in 1940: J W Paget at 2256 and G Hatchwell at 2276. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    3673 West 12th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • W E G Thomson, a salesman at Western Wholesale Jewellers 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Peace at 3665 and park vista apts at 3677. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    4065 West 12th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • J A Thomson, a salesman at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: G Moberly at 4055 and A C Manson at 4069. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    4649 West 12th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • J J Thomson, retired 1940
    • Helen Thomson, a student 1940
    • Mary I Thomson, a school teacher 1940

    Next door in 1940: R J Hanley at 4641 and T A Lyttleton at 4663. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the seven: a salesman (2), a department manager, a driver and a school teacher.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (2), West Point Grey (2) and Fairview. 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 G W Thomson at 1686 West 12th Avenue. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Gordon W Thomson there as the householder, a department manager at Spencer's Model Market. The 1940 name section lists William Thomson at 2266 West 12th Avenue, a driver at McGavin.

W E G Thomson is listed at 3673 West 12th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists W Eric G Thomson there as the householder, a salesman at Western Wholesale Jewellers. J A Thomson is listed at 4065 West 12th Avenue 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 James A Thomson there as the householder, a salesman at the BC Electric Railway.

J J Thomson is listed at 4649 West 12th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists John J Thomson there as the householder, retired, with Helen Thomson, a student, and Mary I Thomson, a school teacher.

Today

4065 West 12th and 4649 West 12th still have their buildings from before 1946; 1686 West 12th (1968) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 2266 West 12th and 3673 West 12th, 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 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.

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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.