Vancouver / Names / T / Tompkins

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Tompkinses

In the city directories 1940 · twelve people at eight addresses

The directories print twelve people named Tompkins at eight 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: three Tompkinses at 3460 Fleming 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 Tompkinses 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

    1531 East 11th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • John Tompkins, a saw grinder 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs C B Johnson at 1523 and W Kelley at 1537. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2317 East 19th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • P Tompkins, who worked for the Burrard Dry Dock 1940

    Next door in 1940: F H MacDougall at 2303 and Miss A Jordan at 2343. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2523 East 5th Avenue

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • S G Tompkins 1940

    Next door in 1940: W A Scott at 2511. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3460 Fleming Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • E T Tompkins, a carpenter 1940
    • Arthur E Tompkins, a clerk at Johnston National Storage 1940
    • Margaret I Tompkins, a bookkeeper at Bowman's Apron & Uniform 1940

    Next door in 1940: J C Schollen at 3484. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    2205 Graveley Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Mrs L Tompkins, widow of J B 1940
    • Betty Tompkins, an assistant at BC Hotelman 1940
    • John B Tompkins, an editor at BC Hotelman 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Menzies at 2209. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    348 Robson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Russell Tompkins, a painter 1940

    Next door in 1940: R W Hudson at 344. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    2336 West 14th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • W E Tompkins, a trainman at the CPR 1940

    Next door in 1940: E Georgeson at 2326 and T Easton at 2346. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2905 Willow Street

    Fairview, 1940

    • Mrs A A Tompkins, widow of B L 1940

What they did

The name section prints a trade for nine of the twelve: an assistant, a bookkeeper, a carpenter, a clerk, an editor and an employee, among others. Two of them worked for BC Hotelman. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kensington-Cedar Cottage (3), Downtown, Fairview, Grandview-Woodland, Hastings-Sunrise and Kitsilano. 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 John Tompkins at 1531 East 11th Avenue, a saw grinder. P Tompkins is listed at 2317 East 19th 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 Peter Tompkins there as the householder, who worked for the Burrard Dry Dock.

S G Tompkins is listed at 2523 East 5th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Stan G Tompkins there as the householder. E T Tompkins is listed at 3460 Fleming Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Ernest T Tompkins there as the householder, a carpenter, with Arthur E Tompkins, a clerk at Johnston National Storage, and Margaret I Tompkins, a bookkeeper at Bowman's Apron & Uniform.

Mrs L Tompkins is listed at 2205 Graveley Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Loretta Tompkins there as the householder, widow of J B, with Betty Tompkins, an assistant at BC Hotelman, and John B Tompkins, an editor at BC Hotelman. The 1940 name section lists Russell Tompkins at 348 Robson Street, a painter.

In 1940 the directory lists W E Tompkins at 2336 West 14th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Wilfred E Tompkins there as the householder, a trainman at the CPR. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs A A Tompkins at 2905 Willow Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Alice A Tompkins there as the householder, widow of B L.

Today

1531 East 11th, 3460 Fleming and 2205 Graveley still have their buildings from before 1946; 2317 East 19th (1977), 2523 East 5th (1989) and 2336 West 14th (2011) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 348 Robson and 2905 Willow, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 18 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 Tompkinses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Tompkins 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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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.