Vancouver / Names / W / Williams / Nelson Street

A family name on Nelson Street, West End and Downtown

The Williamses

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at five addresses

The directories print seven people named Williams at five addresses in 1940, all on Nelson 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

    840 Nelson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Mrs J Williams, widow of J 1940
    • Pearl Williams, an operator at Family Service Laundry 1940

    Next door in 1940: Oke & Duke at 808. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1147 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs G H Williams, widow of C E 1940
    • Marjorie Williams, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: S Vassey at 1121 and J Middleton at 1155. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1236 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Frederick Williams, a janitor 1940

    Next door in 1940: A C Goodrich at 1230 and F M Mills at 1242. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1245 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Violet H Williams, a stenographer for Northwestern Mutual 1940

    Next door in 1940: queen anne gardens at 1235. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1772 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Albert Williams 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Blais at 1770 and J B P Dent at 1774. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the seven: a janitor, an operator and a stenographer. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (4) and Downtown. 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 Mrs J Williams at 840 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Jane Williams there as the householder, widow of J, with Pearl Williams, an operator at Family Service Laundry. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs G H Williams at 1147 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section lists Grace H Williams there as the householder, widow of C E, with Marjorie Williams, a student.

The 1940 name section lists Frederick Williams at 1236 Nelson Street, a janitor. The 1940 name section lists Violet H Williams at 1245 Nelson Street, a stenographer for Northwestern Mutual. The 1940 name section lists Albert Williams at 1772 Nelson Street.

Today

1147 Nelson (1986) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 840 Nelson, 1236 Nelson, 1245 Nelson and 1772 Nelson, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges
About 1915 Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges. Not at the house at 840 Nelson: no archive photo of the 800 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, Str P181.2. 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.