A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Tongses
In the city directories 1940 · five people at two addresses
The directories print five people named Tongs at two addresses in 1940 in two of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: three Tongses at 1552 East Pender 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 Tongses lived
- 1
1552 East Pender Street
Grandview-Woodland, 1940
- Mrs E Tongs 1940
- Eileen Tongs, a saleswoman at Woodward's 1940
- Joan Tongs, a waitress at Spencer's 1940
- 2
8179 Osler Street
Marpole, 1940
- Mrs N E Tongs, widow of R 1940
- Nancy M Tongs 1940
Next door in 1940: Mrs J Grieve at 8119 and J L Horracks at 8191. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for two of the five: a saleswoman and a waitress. One is a widow, listed under her own name.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland and Marpole. 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 Mrs E Tongs at 1552 East Pender Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Mrs Ethel Tongs there as the householder, with Eileen Tongs, a saleswoman at Woodward's, and Joan Tongs, a waitress at Spencer's. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs N E Tongs at 8179 Osler 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 Nellie E Tongs there as the householder, widow of R, with Nancy M Tongs.
Today
8179 Osler (1986) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1552 East Pender, so that building is probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 7 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Tongs Mrs E1552 East Pender, p. 128
- Tongs Eileen slswm Woodwards1552 East Pender, p. 615
- Tongs Mrs Ethel1552 East Pender, p. 615
- Tongs Joan waitress Spencers1552 East Pender, p. 615
- *Tongs Mrs N E8179 Osler, p. 123
- Tongs Nancy M8179 Osler, p. 615
- Tongs Nellie E wid R8179 Osler, p. 615
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Tongses
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Tongs 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.