Vancouver / Names / W / Watchorn

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Watchorns

In the city directories 1940 · four people at four addresses

The directories print four people named Watchorn at four addresses in 1940 in three of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Watchhorn. 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 Watchorns 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

    6392 Laburnum Street

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • Gertrude M Watchorn 1940

    Next door in 1940: G H Roberts at 6378. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1456 West 12th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • V H Watchorn, proprietor of The Riviera 1940

    Next door in 1940: st claire apts at 1446 and J G Shubb at 1470. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1266 West 27th Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • E H Watchorn, a clerk at the Royal Bank 1940

    Next door in 1940: G S Clark at 1256 and G D Imrie at 1276. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    916 West Broadway

    Fairview, 1940

    • H L J Watchhorn, an examiner at the Customs 1940

    Next door in 1940: W T Jasper at 924. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the four: a clerk, an examiner and a proprietor.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview (2), Kerrisdale and Shaughnessy. 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 Gertrude M Watchorn at 6392 Laburnum Street. V H Watchorn is listed at 1456 West 12th Avenue 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 Valentine H Watchorn there as the householder, proprietor of The Riviera.

E H Watchorn is listed at 1266 West 27th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Ernest H Watchorn there as the householder, a clerk at the Royal Bank. H L J Watchhorn is listed at 916 West Broadway in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Harry L J Watchorn there as the householder, an examiner at the Customs.

Today

916 West Broadway still has its building from before 1946, dated 1928 by the City's record; 1266 West 27th (1992) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 6392 Laburnum and 1456 West 12th, so those buildings are 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.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Watchorns

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Watchorn 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 W. Want a name removed? Tell us.