Vancouver / Names / W / Will

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Wills

In the city directories 1940 · 13 people at nine addresses

The directories print 13 people named Will at nine addresses in 1940 in seven 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: three Wills at 379 East Broadway 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 Wills 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

    1947 Commercial Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • W D Will 1940

    Next door in 1940: T Davies at 1943 and Sam's Gro at 1955. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2247 East 30th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • A Will, a painter at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss A J Smith at 2243 and W C Williams at 2249. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    379 East Broadway

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • J Will, a manager at Community Coal 1940
    • Alice M Will, a stenographer at A C Rubber 1940
    • Elizabeth H Will, a stenographer 1940

    Next door in 1940: W J Budnick at 375 and adrian court at 389. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1650 East Hastings Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Ada F Will, widow of A G 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs J Scott at 1648 and H Kovish at 1652. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    4695 Gothard Street

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • J G Will, a swamper 1940

    Next door in 1940: N McKellar at 4675. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    2125 Rupert Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • A Will, a longshoreman 1940

    Next door in 1940: R F Holloway at 2115 and O Hwehn at 2135. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    2127 Stephens Street

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mrs S Will, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: W W Goodwin at 2139. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2940 West 32nd Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • N Will, a police officer at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: G Pearson at 2934 and N R Lovegrove at 2948. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    720 Woodland Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • A Will, a longshoreman 1940
    • Emily S Will 1940
    • William T Will 1940

    Next door in 1940: F G Geering at 712. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for eight of the 13: a longshoreman (2), a stenographer (2), a manager, a painter, a police officer and a swamper. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland (3), Dunbar-Southlands, Hastings-Sunrise, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant and Renfrew-Collingwood. 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 W D Will at 1947 Commercial Drive. A Will is listed at 2247 East 30th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Alex Will there as the householder, a painter at the BC Electric Railway.

J Will is listed at 379 East Broadway 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 Will there as the householder, a manager at Community Coal, with Alice M Will, a stenographer at A C Rubber, and Elizabeth H Will, a stenographer. The 1940 name section lists Ada F Will at 1650 East Hastings Street, widow of A G.

In 1940 the directory lists J G Will at 4695 Gothard Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists John G Will there as the householder, a swamper. In 1940 the directory lists A Will at 2125 Rupert Street. The 1940 name section lists Alex Will there as the householder, a longshoreman.

In 1940 the directory lists Mrs S Will at 2127 Stephens Street. The 1940 name section lists Sadie Will there as the householder, widow of J. In 1940 the directory lists N Will at 2940 West 32nd Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Norman Will there as the householder, a police officer at the City of Vancouver.

In 1940 the directory lists A Will at 720 Woodland Drive. The 1940 name section lists Alex Will there as the householder, a longshoreman, with Emily S Will and William T Will.

Today

2247 East 30th, 2127 Stephens, 2940 West 32nd and 720 Woodland Drive still have their buildings from before 1946; 379 East Broadway (1958), 4695 Gothard (1984) and 2125 Rupert (1984) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1947 Commercial Drive and 1650 East Hastings, 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.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section

The book of the Wills

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Will 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.