Vancouver / Names / W / Watson / West 3rd Avenue

A family name on West 3rd Avenue, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Fairview and West Point Grey

The Watsons

In the city directories 1940 · five people at three addresses

The directories print five people named Watson at three addresses in 1940, all on West 3rd Avenue. 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 Watsons at 4618 West 3rd in 1940. 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

    2376 West 3rd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • J Watson, a president at J Watson Ltd 1940

    Next door in 1940: A H Thatcher at 2366 and Mrs L L Mallory at 2386. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2546 West 3rd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • James Watson, a decorator 1940

    Next door in 1940: J T Wight at 2544 and A C Roberts at 2556. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    4618 West 3rd Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • Mrs N M Watson, widow of R D 1940
    • Jean M Watson, a saleswoman for N M Watson 1940
    • Neill M Watson, a grocer 1940

    Next door in 1940: C F T Hooper at 4616 and J S Gray at 4626. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the five: a decorator, a grocer, a president and a saleswoman. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (2) and West Point Grey. 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 Watson at 2376 West 3rd 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 John Watson there as the householder, a president at J Watson Ltd, with J David Watson. The 1940 name section lists James Watson at 2546 West 3rd Avenue, a decorator.

Mrs N M Watson is listed at 4618 West 3rd Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Neta M Watson there as the householder, widow of R D, with Jean M Watson, a saleswoman for N M Watson, and Neill M Watson, a grocer.

Today

2546 West 3rd still has its building from before 1946, dated 1912 by the City's record and on the Vancouver Heritage Register; the City no longer lists 2376 West 3rd and 4618 West 3rd, 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 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.