Vancouver / Names / W / Williams / West 14th Avenue

A family name on West 14th Avenue, Fairview, Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano and West Point Grey

The Williamses

In the city directories 1940 · ten people at eight addresses

The directories print ten people named Williams at eight addresses in 1940, all on West 14th 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 most under one roof: three Williamses at 3669 West 14th in 1940. 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

    156 West 14th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • John Williams, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: R G Williamson at 150 and B V Dunkley at 164. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    855 West 14th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Mrs J Williams, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Lapides at 845 and allen apartments at 875. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1504 West 14th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • F R Williams, a plumber and electrician 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss A G Bell at 1508. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1585 West 14th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Dorothy G Williams, a cashier at Sun Life 1940

    Next door in 1940: aleeta (the) at 1575 and H E Selman at 1595. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1596 West 14th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • O E Williams, a secretary at Cedar Cove S&D 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs C McRae at 1566. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1785 West 14th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • A B Williams, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: J R Bain at 1775 and E J Conway at 1795. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    1886 West 14th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • E Williams, a manager at Paramount Specialty House 1940

    Next door in 1940: A M Smith at 1876 and R S McGill at 1896. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    3669 West 14th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • T Williams, a mechanic 1940
    • J Walter Williams, a driver at Bottle Gas 1940
    • Laura Williams, a dressmaker 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Hall at 3657 and H Mitton at 3687. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for eight of the ten: a cashier, a dressmaker, a driver, a manager, a mechanic and a plumber and electrician, among others. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview (5), Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant and West Point Grey. 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists John Williams at 156 West 14th Avenue, a salesman. Mrs J Williams is listed at 855 West 14th 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 Josephine Williams there as the householder, widow of J.

F R Williams is listed at 1504 West 14th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists F Roan Williams there as the householder, a plumber and electrician. The 1940 name section lists Dorothy G Williams at 1585 West 14th Avenue, a cashier at Sun Life.

In 1940 the directory lists O E Williams at 1596 West 14th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Oliver E Williams there as the householder, a secretary at Cedar Cove S&D. In 1940 the directory lists A B Williams at 1785 West 14th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists A Bryan Williams there as the householder, retired.

In 1940 the directory lists E Williams at 1886 West 14th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Edwin Williams there as the householder, a manager at Paramount Specialty House. In 1940 the directory lists T Williams at 3669 West 14th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Thomas Williams there as the householder, a mechanic, with J Walter Williams, a driver at Bottle Gas, and Laura Williams, a dressmaker.

Today

1504 West 14th, 1585 West 14th and 3669 West 14th still have their buildings from before 1946; 156 West 14th (1999), 1596 West 14th (2000) and 1886 West 14th (1997) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 855 West 14th and 1785 West 14th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 16 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

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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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.