Vancouver / Names / W / Williams / Granville Street

A family name on Granville Street, Downtown, Fairview, Shaughnessy, Kerrisdale, Oakridge and Marpole

The Williamses

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at six addresses

The directories print seven people named Williams at six addresses in 1940, all on Granville Street, 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

    445 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Miss D E M Williams, a music teacher 1940

    Next door in 1940: White Lunch Ltd at 439 and Owl Drug Co Ltd at 449. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1018 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Alfred Williams, a dispenser at the Kingston Hotel 1940

    Next door in 1940: Oil Burner Dominion at 1016 and Alberta Furn at 1020. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1221 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Harry Williams, a conductor at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: Snap-On Tools of Can at 1211 and T Ishida at 1227. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2204 Granville Street

    Fairview, 1940

    • J Williams, an engineer at National Biscuit 1940

    Next door in 1940: W H Whiles at 2202 and College Clnrs at 2208. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    2319 Granville Street

    Fairview, 1940

    • E A Williams, an accountant 1940
    • Mrs Margaret A Williams, proprietor of the News Magazine Exchange 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Bell at 2315 and Allied Heat & Fuel at 2321. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    2916 Granville Street

    Fairview, 1940

    • F R Williams, a plumber 1940

    Next door in 1940: Thomson & Page at 2914 and Pac Shoe Reprg at 2918. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the seven: an accountant, a conductor, a dispenser, an engineer and a proprietor.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (3) and Fairview (3). 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 Miss D E M Williams, a music teacher, at 445 Granville Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Alfred Williams at 1018 Granville Street, a dispenser at the Kingston Hotel. The 1940 name section lists Harry Williams at 1221 Granville Street, a conductor at the BC Electric Railway.

J Williams is listed at 2204 Granville Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists James Williams there as the householder, an engineer at National Biscuit. E A Williams is listed at 2319 Granville Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Edward A Williams there as the householder, an accountant, with Mrs Margaret A Williams, proprietor of the News Magazine Exchange.

F R Williams, a plumber, is listed at 2916 Granville Street in 1940.

Today

1018 Granville and 1221 Granville still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 445 Granville, 2204 Granville, 2319 Granville and 2916 Granville, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Riders in uniform lead a parade along Granville Street, past crowds on the sidewalk
1917 Riders in uniform lead a parade along Granville Street, past crowds on the sidewalk. Not at the house at 2319 Granville: no archive photo of the 2300 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 99-350. Public domain.

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.

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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.