A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Whitelaws
In the city directories 1940–1945 · 15 people at 13 addresses
The directories print 15 people named Whitelaw at 13 addresses between 1940 and 1945 in nine of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Whitlaw. 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 Whitelaws lived
- 1
1115 Barclay Street
West End, 1940
- Elizabeth Whitlaw 1940
Next door in 1940: J Livingstone at 1111 and A D McLean at 1121. The block, door by door
- 2
422 East Hastings Street
Strathcona, 1940
- Agnes Whitelaw, a waitress at Jimmy's Lunch 1940
Next door in 1940: King Edw Apts at 420 and “Orientals” at 426. The block, door by door
- 3
6908 Laburnum Street
Kerrisdale, 1940
- D W W Whitelaw, of Forsyth & Whitelaw 1940
Next door in 1940: G S Wate at 6926. The block, door by door
- 4
- 5
3834 West 11th Avenue
West Point Grey, 1940
- J Whitelaw, in shoes 1940
- Nellie B Whitelaw, a saleswoman for J Whitelaw 1940
Next door in 1940: G D Tremblay at 3828 and F A Heise at 3838. The block, door by door
- 6
2812 West 13th Avenue
Kitsilano, 1940
- R Whitelaw, an engineer at the Union Steamship Company 1940
Next door in 1940: F P Forsyth at 2820. The block, door by door
- 7
3504 West 19th Avenue
Dunbar-Southlands, 1940
- Agnes Whitelaw, widow of H T 1940
Next door in 1940: J Drummond at 3508. The block, door by door
- 8
2180 West 4th Avenue
Kitsilano, 1940
- J Whitelaw, in shoes 1940
Next door in 1940: Davison Furn Co at 2178. The block, door by door
- 9
1684 West 60th Avenue
Marpole, 1940
- J B Whitelaw, a clerk for C M Oliver 1940
- Clara Whitelaw, widow of J B 1940
Next door in 1940: D R Inch at 1666. The block, door by door
- 10
1843 West 8th Avenue
Kitsilano, 1940
- Mrs Kath M Whitelaw, a waitress at Spencer's 1940
Next door in 1940: R Symon at 1841 and H Harlos at 1855. The block, door by door
- 11
925 West Georgia Street
Downtown, 1940
- W A Whitelaw, a physician 1940
Next door in 1940: Lunch Sandwich at 915 and Macdonald's Prescriptions at 929. The block, door by door
- 12
1129 West Georgia Street
Downtown, 1940
- Earl Whitelaw, a freight hand 1940
Next door in 1940: G R Burgess at 1125 and G F Moore at 1133. The block, door by door
- 13
What they did
The name section prints a trade for seven of the 15: a waitress (2), a clerk, an engineer, a freight hand, a saleswoman and a shoes. Two are widows, listed under their own names.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Kitsilano (3), Downtown (2), West Point Grey (2), Dunbar-Southlands, Kerrisdale, Marpole, Mount Pleasant, Strathcona 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
The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Elizabeth Whitlaw at 1115 Barclay Street. The 1940 name section lists Agnes Whitelaw at 422 East Hastings Street, a waitress at Jimmy's Lunch. In 1940 the directory lists D W W Whitelaw at 6908 Laburnum Street. The 1940 name section lists Doug W W Whitelaw there as the householder, of Forsyth & Whitelaw.
The 1940 name section lists Clark Whitelaw at 1565 Tolmie Street, a student at UBC. J Whitelaw is listed at 3834 West 11th 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 James Whitelaw there as the householder, in shoes, with Nellie B Whitelaw, a saleswoman for J Whitelaw.
R Whitelaw is listed at 2812 West 13th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Robert Whitelaw there as the householder, an engineer at the Union Steamship Company. The 1940 name section lists Agnes Whitelaw at 3504 West 19th Avenue, widow of H T. In 1940 the directory lists J Whitelaw, in shoes, at 2180 West 4th Avenue.
J B Whitelaw is listed at 1684 West 60th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists J Beverley Whitelaw there as the householder, a clerk for C M Oliver, with Clara Whitelaw, widow of J B. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Kath M Whitelaw at 1843 West 8th Avenue, a waitress at Spencer's. In 1940 the directory lists W A Whitelaw, a physician, at 925 West Georgia Street.
The 1940 name section lists Earl Whitelaw at 1129 West Georgia Street, a freight hand at the CPR, with Earle Whitlaw, a freight hand. In 1945 the directory lists E N Whitlaw at 2649 Quebec Street.
Today
1565 Tolmie, 3834 West 11th, 3504 West 19th and 2649 Quebec still have their buildings from before 1946, 2649 Quebec on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 6908 Laburnum (1989), 2812 West 13th (1996) and 2180 West 4th (1973) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1115 Barclay, 422 East Hastings, 1684 West 60th, 1843 West 8th, 925 West Georgia and 1129 West Georgia, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 20 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Whitlaw Eliz1115 Barclay, p. 657
- Whitelaw Agnes waitress Jimmy's Lunch422 East Hastings, p. 656
- Whitelaw D W W6908 Laburnum, p. 101
- Whitelaw Doug W W of Forsyth & Whitelaw6908 Laburnum, p. 656
- Whitelaw Clark studt UBC1565 Tolmie, p. 656
- *Whitelaw J3834 West 11th, p. 205
- Whitelaw Jas shoes 2180 W 43834 West 11th, p. 656
- Whitelaw Nellie B slswm J Whitelaw3834 West 11th, p. 656
- *Whitelaw R2812 West 13th, p. 213
- Whitelaw Robt eng USS2812 West 13th, p. 656
- Whitelaw Agnes wid H T3504 West 19th, p. 656
- Whitelaw J shoes2180 West 4th, p. 182
- *Whitelaw J B1684 West 60th, p. 270
- Whitelaw Clara wid J B1684 West 60th, p. 656
- Whitelaw J Beverley clk C M Oliver1684 West 60th, p. 656
- Whitelaw Mrs Kath M waitress Spencers1843 West 8th, p. 656
- Whitelaw W A phys925 West Georgia, p. 58
- Whitelaw Earl frt hd CPR1129 West Georgia, p. 656
- Whitlaw Earle frt hd1129 West Georgia, p. 657
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
- Whitlaw E N2649 Quebec, p. 128
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Whitelaws
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Whitelaw 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.