A family name on Richards Street, Downtown
The Williamses
In the city directories 1940 · five people at four addresses
The directories print five people named Williams at four addresses in 1940, all on Richards 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
- 1
422 Richards Street
Downtown, 1940
- T Williams, a music teacher 1940
Next door in 1940: W Lund at 420 and N Shishkin at 424. The block, door by door
- 2
522 Richards Street
Downtown, 1940
- Miss B Williams 1940
Next door in 1940: Merritt Gordon Hotel (Annex) at 520. The block, door by door
- 3
651 Richards Street
Downtown, 1940
- G Williams, a cook who kept rooms to let 1940
- Armande Williams 1940
Next door in 1940: Mrs L Taylor at 647 and Miss K Smith at 657. The block, door by door
- 4
882 Richards Street
Downtown, 1940
- Williams (no first name printed) 1940
Next door in 1940: Rapid Transf at 880 and Coca Cola of Can at 898. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for one of the five: a cook and rooms to let.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Downtown (4). 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 T Williams, a music teacher, at 422 Richards Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Miss B Williams at 522 Richards Street. In 1940 the directory lists G Williams, rooms to let, at 651 Richards Street. The 1940 name section lists Gordon Williams there, a cook who kept rooms to let, with Armande Williams.
The 1940 name section lists Williams (no first name printed) at 882 Richards Street.
Today
422 Richards still has its building from before 1946, dated 1901 by the City's record and on the Vancouver Heritage Register; the City no longer lists 522 Richards, 651 Richards and 882 Richards, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 6 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Williams T mus tchr422 Richards, p. 141
- Williams Miss B522 Richards, p. 661
- Williams G rooms651 Richards, p. 141
- Williams Armande651 Richards, p. 661
- Williams Gordon cook and rooms651 Richards, p. 662
- Williams Mrs —882 Richards, p. 661
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.