Vancouver / Names / W / Wilson / Nelson Street

A family name on Nelson Street, West End and Downtown

The Wilsons

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at six addresses

The directories print seven people named Wilson at six addresses in 1940, all on Nelson Street, with the close spelling Willson. 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 224 other streets too, all listed on the Wilson 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 Wilsons 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

    590 Nelson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Glen Wilson, a mechanic 1940
  2. 2

    1009 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • A Wilson 1940

    Next door in 1940: First Baptist Ch at 1001 and Mrs M M Bowell at 1011. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1235 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Charles Wilson, a waiter 1940

    Next door in 1940: beverly (the) at 1225 and tweedsmuir apts at 1245. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1448 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Grace Wilson, a widow 1940

    Next door in 1940: C F Virgo at 1442 and clifton apts at 1460. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1460 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • H P Wilson, a general broker 1940
    • Joyce G Wilson, a stenographer at Begg Motor 1940

    Next door in 1940: L W Elgear at 1448. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1606 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • W Wilson, a caretaker at the Lincoln Apartments 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs H Bellamy at 1616. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the seven: a caretaker, a general broker, a mechanic, a stenographer and a waiter. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (5) 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Glen Wilson at 590 Nelson Street, a mechanic. A Wilson is listed at 1009 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Alex Wilson there as the householder. The 1940 name section lists Charles Wilson at 1235 Nelson Street, a waiter.

The 1940 name section lists Grace Wilson at 1448 Nelson Street, a widow. H P Wilson is listed at 1460 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Harold P Wilson there as the householder, a general broker, with Joyce G Wilson, a stenographer at Begg Motor.

W Wilson is listed at 1606 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists William Wilson there as the householder, a caretaker at the Lincoln Apartments.

Today

1235 Nelson, 1460 Nelson and 1606 Nelson still have their buildings from before 1946, 1235 Nelson and 1460 Nelson on the Vancouver Heritage Register; the City no longer lists 590 Nelson, 1009 Nelson and 1448 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 1460 Nelson: no archive photo of the 1400 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, Str P181.2. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 10 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 Wilsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Wilson 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.