Vancouver / Names / W / Williams / William Street

A family name on William Street, Grandview-Woodland, Strathcona and Hastings-Sunrise

The Williamses

In the city directories 1940 · nine people at three addresses

The directories print nine people named Williams at three addresses in 1940, all on William 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 most under one roof: four Williamses at 1869 William 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

    1562 William Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Mrs Williams 1940
    • Barbara Williams, widow of R 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs J Slater at 1556 and W Rutherford at 1582. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1869 William Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • E M G Williams, retired 1940
    • Elwick B Williams, a painter 1940
    • J Ken Williams, a painter 1940
    • Violet D Williams, a maid 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs H Reilly at 1861. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2150 William Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • W Williams, proprietor of Grandview Stationery 1940
    • Isabella N Williams, a saleswoman at Dale's Roast Chickens 1940
    • L George Williams, a clerk 1940

    Next door in 1940: H H Oldaker at 2146 and J H Shaw at 2154. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the nine: a painter (2), a clerk, a maid, a proprietor and a saleswoman. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland (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 Mrs Williams at 1562 William Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Barbara Williams there as the householder, widow of R. In 1940 the directory lists E M G Williams at 1869 William Street. The 1940 name section lists Elwick M G Williams there as the householder, retired, with Elwick B Williams, a painter, J Ken Williams, a painter, and Violet D Williams, a maid.

In 1940 the directory lists W Williams at 2150 William Street; 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 Walter Williams there as the householder, proprietor of Grandview Stationery, with Isabella N Williams, a saleswoman at Dale's Roast Chickens, and L George Williams, a clerk.

Today

1869 William and 2150 William still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 1562 William, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 11 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.