Vancouver / Names / W / Williams / East 23rd Avenue

A family name on East 23rd Avenue, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Riley Park and Renfrew-Collingwood

The Williamses

In the city directories 1940 · five people at five addresses

The directories print five people named Williams at five addresses in 1940, all on East 23rd Avenue, with the close spelling Willams. 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 186 other streets too, all listed on the Williams 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 Williamses 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

    440 East 23rd Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • G Williams, a caretaker at the Vancouver Parks Board 1940
  2. 2

    2089 East 23rd Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • Mrs B Williams, a widow 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs L A Horne at 2083 and R C Rice at 2095. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2425 East 23rd Avenue

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • George J Williams, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Karps at 2435. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2695 East 23rd Avenue

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • R N Williams, an assayer at J R Williams & Son 1940

    Next door in 1940: A O Hobson at 2691 and W A R Watkins at 2699. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    3443 East 23rd Avenue

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • F Williams 1940

    Next door in 1940: R Lamb at 3439 and H Locke at 3477. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the five: an assayer and a caretaker. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Renfrew-Collingwood (3), Kensington-Cedar Cottage and Riley Park. 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 G Williams at 440 East 23rd Avenue. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists George Williams there as the householder, a caretaker at the Vancouver Parks Board. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs B Williams at 2089 East 23rd Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Blanche Williams there as the householder, a widow.

The 1940 name section lists George J Williams at 2425 East 23rd Avenue, retired. R N Williams is listed at 2695 East 23rd 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 Roderick N Williams there as the householder, an assayer at J R Williams & Son.

F Williams is listed at 3443 East 23rd Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Frederick Williams there as the householder.

Today

2425 East 23rd still has its building from before 1946, dated 1930 by the City's record; 2089 East 23rd (1964), 2695 East 23rd (1978) and 3443 East 23rd (1988) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 440 East 23rd, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 9 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 Williamses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Williams 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.