Vancouver / Names / V / Venn

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Venns

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at four addresses

The directories print seven people named Venn 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. The most under one roof: three Venns at 1183 Pacific 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 Venns 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

    1908 East 37th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • A E Venn, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M Harrison at 1928. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1183 Pacific Street

    West End, 1940

    • C J Venn, a longshoreman 1940
    • Doreen V Venn, an operator at the BC Telephone 1940
    • Marjorie E Venn, a machinist operator at American Can 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A L Degg at 1169. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1774 Quebec Street

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • J Venn, an engineer 1940
    • Ernest Venn, a finisher for J Watson 1940

    Next door in 1940: C King at 1770. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1644 Woodland Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • R T Venn, a driver at Imperial Oil 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Proudfoot at 1642 and E N Ray at 1648. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the seven: a driver, an engineer, a finisher, a longshoreman, a machinist operator and an operator.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Mount Pleasant 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 A E Venn at 1908 East 37th 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 Alex E Venn there as the householder, retired. In 1940 the directory lists C J Venn at 1183 Pacific Street. The 1940 name section lists Charles J Venn there as the householder, a longshoreman, with Doreen V Venn, an operator at the BC Telephone, and Marjorie E Venn, a machinist operator at American Can.

In 1940 the directory lists J Venn at 1774 Quebec Street. The 1940 name section lists John Venn there as the householder, an engineer, with Ernest Venn, a finisher for J Watson. In 1940 the directory lists R T Venn at 1644 Woodland Drive. The 1940 name section lists Robert T Venn there as the householder, a driver at Imperial Oil.

Today

1644 Woodland Drive still has its building from before 1946, dated 1910 by the City's record; 1908 East 37th (2011) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1183 Pacific and 1774 Quebec, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 11 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 Venns

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Venn 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 V. Want a name removed? Tell us.