A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Watrets
In the city directories 1940 · two people at two addresses
The directories print two people named Watret at two addresses in 1940 in Kensington-Cedar Cottage. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: 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 Watrets lived
- 1
986 East 20th Avenue
Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940
- R Watret, a storekeeper at BC Sugar 1940
Next door in 1940: E D Boyes at 976 and L A Hobbs at 996. The block, door by door
- 2
3858 Fraser Street
Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940
- W Watret, a conductor at the BC Electric Railway 1940
What they did
The name section prints a trade for all two: a conductor and a storekeeper.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Kensington-Cedar Cottage (2). 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 R Watret at 986 East 20th 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 Robert Watret there as the householder, a storekeeper at BC Sugar. In 1940 the directory lists W Watret at 3858 Fraser Street. The 1940 name section lists William Watret there as the householder, a conductor at the BC Electric Railway.
Today
986 East 20th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1924 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 3858 Fraser, so that building is probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 4 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- *Watret R986 East 20th, p. 230
- Watret Robt storekpr BC Sugar986 East 20th, p. 644
- Watret W3858 Fraser, p. 52
- Watret Wm cond BCER3858 Fraser, p. 644
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Watrets
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Watret 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 W. Want a name removed? Tell us.