A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Tophams
In the city directories 1940 · four people at four addresses
The directories print four people named Topham at four addresses in 1940 in three of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family.
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 Tophams lived
- 1
1851 Comox Street
West End, 1940
- Topham (no first name printed) 1940
Next door in 1940: Mrs E H Larson at 1845 and W J Etherington at 1859. The block, door by door
- 2
2653 East Georgia Street
Hastings-Sunrise, 1940
- R Topham, retired 1940
Next door in 1940: W Prentice at 2643 and W J Matthews at 2659. The block, door by door
- 3
3623 Oxford Street
Hastings-Sunrise, 1940
- V L Topham, a helper at Neon Products 1940
Next door in 1940: R A Smith at 3611 and M Hurst at 3633. The block, door by door
- 4
434 West 19th Avenue
Riley Park, 1940
- Alice Topham, widow of F 1940
Next door in 1940: Mrs M Sweitzer at 426 and J Friend at 440. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for one of the four: a helper. One is a widow, listed under her own name.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Hastings-Sunrise (2), Riley Park and West End. 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 Topham (no first name printed) at 1851 Comox Street. R Topham is listed at 2653 East Georgia Street 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 Richard Topham there as the householder, retired.
V L Topham is listed at 3623 Oxford Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Victor L Topham there as the householder, a helper at Neon Products. The 1940 name section lists Alice Topham at 434 West 19th Avenue, widow of F.
Today
434 West 19th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1920 by the City's record; 3623 Oxford (1989) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1851 Comox and 2653 East Georgia, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 6 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Topham Mrs —1851 Comox, p. 615
- *Topham R2653 East Georgia, p. 56
- Topham Richd retired2653 East Georgia, p. 615
- Topham V L3623 Oxford, p. 124
- Topham Victor L hlpr Neon Prods3623 Oxford, p. 615
- Topham Alice wid F434 West 19th, p. 615
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
The book of the Tophams
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Topham 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.