Vancouver / Names / T / Townsley

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Townsleys

In the city directories 1940 · five people at four addresses

The directories print five people named Townsley at four addresses in 1940 in four 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 Townsleys 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

    3603 East 29th Avenue

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • J Townsley, a mechanic at D J Smith Equipment 1940

    Next door in 1940: W F Graham at 3625. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    308 Vernon Drive

    Strathcona, 1940

    • T Townsley, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: hastings apartments at 306. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    3549 West 37th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • E E Townsley, a broker at Mutual Fire Insurance 1940
    • Dorothy L Townsley 1940

    Next door in 1940: C L Ford at 3559. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1025 West Pender Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Joseph Townsley 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mining Reward at 1021 and Town Hall at 1027. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the five: a broker, a mechanic and a salesman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown, Dunbar-Southlands, Renfrew-Collingwood and Strathcona. 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 J Townsley at 3603 East 29th 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 Joseph Townsley there as the householder, a mechanic at D J Smith Equipment. In 1940 the directory lists T Townsley at 308 Vernon Drive. The 1940 name section lists Thomas Townsley there as the householder, a salesman.

In 1940 the directory lists E E Townsley at 3549 West 37th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Ernest E Townsley there as the householder, a broker at Mutual Fire Insurance, with Dorothy L Townsley. The 1940 name section lists Joseph Townsley at 1025 West Pender Street.

Today

3549 West 37th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1922 by the City's record; 3603 East 29th (1964) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 308 Vernon Drive and 1025 West Pender, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 8 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 Townsleys

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Townsley 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.