Vancouver / Names / W / Watson / Nelson Street

A family name on Nelson Street, West End and Downtown

The Watsons

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at six addresses

The directories print seven people named Watson at six addresses in 1940, all on Nelson Street. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 145 other streets too, all listed on the Watson name's own page.

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 Watsons 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

    1155 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Norma Watson, a hairdresser 1940

    Next door in 1940: nelson court at 1147 and Mrs A B Stone at 1157. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1460 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • W G Watson, a truckman at the Customs 1940

    Next door in 1940: L W Elgear at 1448. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1749 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • R Watson, an inspector at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M E Skelley at 1743 and Mrs M L Magee at 1757. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1774 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Robert C Watson, a roofer at Western Steel Products 1940

    Next door in 1940: I T Davies at 1772. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1853 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs M Watson, widow of G 1940
    • Gertrude M Watson, a stenographer at Elk River Timber 1940

    Next door in 1940: H J Cupper at 1835 and Mrs T Oliver at 1857. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1873 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • D Watson, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs T Oliver at 1857. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the seven: a hairdresser, an inspector, a roofer, a salesman, a stenographer and a truckman. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (6). 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 Norma Watson at 1155 Nelson Street, a hairdresser. W G Watson is listed at 1460 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists W G Watson there as the householder, a truckman at the Customs.

R Watson is listed at 1749 Nelson Street 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 Robert Watson there as the householder, an inspector at the City of Vancouver. The 1940 name section lists Robert C Watson at 1774 Nelson Street, a roofer at Western Steel Products.

In 1940 the directory lists Mrs M Watson at 1853 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section lists Marion Watson there as the householder, widow of G, with Gertrude M Watson, a stenographer at Elk River Timber. In 1940 the directory lists D Watson at 1873 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section lists Duncan Watson there as the householder, a salesman.

Today

1460 Nelson still has its building from before 1946, dated 1910 by the City's record and on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 1873 Nelson (1962) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1155 Nelson, 1749 Nelson, 1774 Nelson and 1853 Nelson, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges
About 1915 Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges. Not at the house at 1853 Nelson: no archive photo of the 1800 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, Str P181.2. Public domain.

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, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Watsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Watson 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.