Vancouver / Names / W / Williamson / Robson Street

A family name on Robson Street, West End and Downtown

The Williamsons

In the city directories 1940 · six people at five addresses

The directories print six people named Williamson at five addresses in 1940, all on Robson Street, with the close spelling Williamsen. 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 63 other streets too, all listed on the Williamson 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 Williamsons 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

    812 Robson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Miss I E Williamson, a dressmaker 1940

    Next door in 1940: H N Tait at 806 and Welch's Ltd at 814. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1041 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • W James Williamson 1940

    Next door in 1940: Corner Hamburger White at 1037 and G W Miller at 1049. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1287 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs Constance Williamson 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs K S Graves at 1267. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1533 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Sid Williamson, a welder 1940

    Next door in 1940: J V Reddon at 1517 and A P McEwan at 1535. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1729 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Williamson (no first name printed) 1940
    • Robert Williamson, a mechanic at McDermott Motors 1940

    Next door in 1940: Fox Home Bky at 1723 and T H Schaffer at 1735. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the six: a mechanic and a welder.

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 Miss I E Williamson, a dressmaker, at 812 Robson Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists W James Williamson at 1041 Robson Street. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Constance Williamson at 1287 Robson Street. The 1940 name section lists Sid Williamson at 1533 Robson Street, a welder.

The 1940 name section lists Williamson (no first name printed) at 1729 Robson Street, with Robert Williamson, a mechanic at McDermott Motors.

Today

The City no longer lists 812 Robson, 1041 Robson, 1287 Robson, 1533 Robson and 1729 Robson, 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.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section

The book of the Williamsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Williamson 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.