Vancouver / Names / T / Townley

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Townleys

In the city directories 1940 · 15 people at eleven addresses

The directories print 15 people named Townley at eleven addresses in 1940 in seven 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 Townleys lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. One address isn't on today's map, so it has no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    1636 Avondale Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • F L Townley, proprietor of Townley & Matheson 1940
    • Esmee Townley, an artist 1940

    Next door in 1940: W S Alexander at 1622 and T J Barrie at 1650. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1844 Barclay Street

    West End, 1940

    • L Townley 1940

    Next door in 1940: 4 listings at 1834 and G H Kirkpatrick at 1856. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    647 East 12th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • F Townley, of R Townley & Son 1940
    • Robert Townley, of R Townley & Son 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Gemmell at 645 and J B Hogg at 663. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    719 East 12th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Mrs J Townley, widow of S 1940

    Next door in 1940: J R Lyster at 713 and N H Pringle at 721. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    919 East Broadway

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • C Townley, a glazier at Kway Glass 1940

    Next door in 1940: W P McKee at 909 and T Addie at 929. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    3528 Franklin Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • G Townley, a driver at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: D J McDonald at 3522 and J H Northrop at 3534. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    5939 McKinnon Street

    Killarney, 1940

    • W R Townley, a credit manager at J W Kelly Piano 1940

    Next door in 1940: R H Trevail at 5921 and R H Trevail at 5955. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2777 Prince Edward Street

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • J Townley 1940
    • Emma Townley, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: W S Taggart at 2735. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    306 Vernon Drive

    Strathcona, 1940

    • J Townley, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: 8 listings at 308. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    1175 West 33rd Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • Mrs A Townley, widow of C R 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Richardson at 1157. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    3329 West 41st Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • E R Townley, a scaler at the BC Government 1940
    • William A Townley, a clerk at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: J H Ellison at 3339. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for eight of the 15: an artist, a clerk, a credit manager, a driver, a glazier and a proprietor, among others. Some worked for the same employer: two for R Townley & Son and two for Vancouver City. Three are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Mount Pleasant (4), Shaughnessy (2), Dunbar-Southlands, Hastings-Sunrise, Killarney, Strathcona 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

In 1940 the directory lists F L Townley at 1636 Avondale Avenue; 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, where each person's work is printed, lists Frederick L Townley there as the householder, proprietor of Townley & Matheson, with Esmee Townley, an artist. In 1940 the directory lists L Townley at 1844 Barclay Street.

F Townley is listed at 647 East 12th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Frederick Townley there as the householder, of R Townley & Son, with Robert Townley, of R Townley & Son. Mrs J Townley is listed at 719 East 12th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Jemima Townley there as the householder, widow of S.

C Townley is listed at 919 East Broadway in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Clarence Townley there as the householder, a glazier at Kway Glass. G Townley is listed at 3528 Franklin Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists George Townley there as the householder, a driver at the City of Vancouver.

W R Townley is listed at 5939 McKinnon Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Wilfred R Townley there as the householder, a credit manager at J W Kelly Piano. J Townley is listed at 2777 Prince Edward Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Emma Townley there as the householder, widow of J.

J Townley is listed at 306 Vernon Drive in 1940. The 1940 name section lists James Townley there as the householder, a salesman. Mrs A Townley is listed at 1175 West 33rd Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Alice Townley there as the householder, widow of C R.

E R Townley is listed at 3329 West 41st Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Evelyn R Townley there as the householder, a scaler at the BC Government, with William A Townley, a clerk at the City of Vancouver.

Today

647 East 12th, 919 East Broadway and 3528 Franklin still have their buildings from before 1946; 1844 Barclay (1963) and 5939 McKinnon (2013) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1636 Avondale, 719 East 12th, 2777 Prince Edward, 306 Vernon Drive and 1175 West 33rd, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred); for 3329 West 41st, its page says what we could and couldn't match to today's buildings.

Every line as printed

All 24 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 Townleys

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Townley 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.