Vancouver / Names / W / Widdess

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Widdesses

In the city directories 1940 · eight people at four addresses

The directories print eight people named Widdess at four addresses in 1940 in three of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: four Widdesses at 5887 Adera in 1940.

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 Widdesses lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. One address isn't on today's map, so it has no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    5887 Adera Street

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • R W Widdess, a president at Seaport Crown Fish 1940
    • Clarinda Widdess, widow of S 1940
    • Edward H Widdess, a student 1940
    • Robert G Widdess, a salesman at Seaport Crown Fish 1940

    Next door in 1940: J R Whyte at 5861. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2027 Granville Street

    Fairview, 1940

    • W G Widdess, a watchmaker 1940

    Next door in 1940: M L A Van Alken at 2025 and C Thomas at 2031. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    6586 Victoria Drive

    Victoria-Fraserview, 1940

    • J W Widdess, a fireman at the Union Steamship Company 1940

    Next door in 1940: J D De Brincat at 6582 and B Calvin at 6590. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1455 West 8th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • W G Widdess, a watchmaker 1940
    • William H Widdess, a compositor at the Sun 1940

    Next door in 1940: Gowen Sutton Co Ltd at 1445 and S McMaster at 1495. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the eight: a compositor, a fireman, a president, a salesman and a watchmaker. Two of them worked for Seaport Crown Fish. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview (2), Kerrisdale and Victoria-Fraserview. 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 W Widdess at 5887 Adera Street; 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 R Webster Widdess there as the householder, a president at Seaport Crown Fish, with Clarinda Widdess, widow of S, Edward H Widdess, a student, and Robert G Widdess, a salesman at Seaport Crown Fish. In 1940 the directory lists W G Widdess, a watchmaker, at 2027 Granville Street.

J W Widdess is listed at 6586 Victoria Drive in 1940. The 1940 name section lists John W Widdess there as the householder, a fireman at the Union Steamship Company. W G Widdess is listed at 1455 West 8th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists W George Widdess there as the householder, a watchmaker, with William H Widdess, a compositor at the Sun.

Today

1455 West 8th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1912 by the City's record and on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 5887 Adera (2014) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 2027 Granville and 6586 Victoria Drive, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

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, street section

The book of the Widdesses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Widdess 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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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.