Vancouver / Names / T / Thornley

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Thornleys

In the city directories 1940 · nine people at six addresses

The directories print nine people named Thornley at six addresses in 1940 in six of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: four Thornleys at 496 East 59th in 1940.

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 Thornleys 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

    2681 East 2nd Avenue

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • Gilbert Thornley, a shingler 1940

    Next door in 1940: D Bofolchi at 2633 and T Spatra at 2691. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    496 East 59th Avenue

    Sunset, 1940

    • E Thornley, a salesman 1940
    • Cyril E Thornley, a porter 1940
    • F Jean Thornley, a stenographer at the City of Vancouver 1940
    • Violet M Thornley 1940
  3. 3

    514 Homer Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Hugh Thornley, who worked for the Canadian Government 1940

    Next door in 1940: Maple Leaf Serv at 518. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    690 West 19th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • S Thornley, a stableman 1940

    Next door in 1940: F C Smith at 686 and Miss K Emery at 696. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1904 West 35th Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • Ethel M Thornley 1940

    Next door in 1940: J A K Bailey at 1920. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1815 West 4th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • A Thornley, proprietor of Al's Service Station 1940

    Next door in 1940: alpha blk at 1825. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the nine: a porter, a proprietor, a salesman, a shingler, a stableman and a stenographer.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown, Hastings-Sunrise, Kitsilano, Shaughnessy, South Cambie and Sunset. 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 Gilbert Thornley at 2681 East 2nd Avenue as the householder, a shingler. E Thornley is listed at 496 East 59th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Edward Thornley there as the householder, a salesman, with Cyril E Thornley, a porter, F Jean Thornley, a stenographer at the City of Vancouver, and Violet M Thornley. The 1940 name section lists Hugh Thornley at 514 Homer Street, who worked for the Canadian Government.

In 1940 the directory lists S Thornley at 690 West 19th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Sam Thornley there as the householder, a stableman. The 1940 name section lists Ethel M Thornley at 1904 West 35th Avenue.

A Thornley is listed at 1815 West 4th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Alfred Thornley there as the householder, proprietor of Al's Service Station.

Today

2681 East 2nd, 514 Homer and 1815 West 4th still have their buildings from before 1946; 496 East 59th (2004) and 690 West 19th (1981) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1904 West 35th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 12 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Thornleys

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Thornley 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.