Timeline of Barrow-in-Furness facts for kids

This is a timeline showing the history of Barrow-in-Furness, a town in England, United Kingdom. It tells you about the important events that happened there over many years.

Early History of Barrow

• 1086 - The Domesday Book, a very old record, mentions small settlements in areas that are now Hawcoat, Roose, and Walney.
• 1123 - Furness Abbey, a large monastery, was built.
• 1190 - The name 'Barrai' was first recorded for Barrow Island. This island is where the town of Barrow gets its name.
• 1327 - The Piel Castle you see today was finished.
• 1537 - Furness Abbey was destroyed during the English Reformation, a big change in England's religious history.

Barrow in the 1800s

Walney Lighthouse was built in 1804.

A statue of Henry Schneider, who helped build the new town of Barrow.

The Barrow Jute Works opened in 1870 and employed over 2,000 women.

Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall was finished in 1887.

• 1801 - The small village of Barrow had a population of 1,958 people.
• 1804 - Walney Lighthouse was completed to help ships navigate.
• 1839 - Henry Schneider arrived in the area to start mining for iron ore.
• 1846
  • The Furness Railway opened, making it easier to transport goods.
  • The causeway connecting Roa Island to the mainland was finished.
• 1847 - The population of Barrow was only 325 people.
• 1850 - Large amounts of iron ore were found in the area.
• 1852 - The Jane Roper was the first ship built in Barrow.
• 1858 - St. Mary of Furness Roman Catholic Church was built.
• 1859 - The company Schneider Hannay & Co was started.
• 1860 - The Barrow Co-operative Society was set up to help local people.
• 1861 - St. George's Church was built.
• 1863 - Work began on building Barrow's important dock system.
• 1865
  • A small earthquake caused some damage in the Rampside area.
  • Schneider Hannay & Co became the Barrow Hematite Steel Company.
• 1867
  • Barrow was given the special status of a municipal borough.
  • Sir James Ramsden became Barrow's first mayor.
  • Devonshire Dock opened for ships.
  • Cases' Brewery started making drinks.
• 1869 - St. James' Church was built.
• 1870 - The Barrow Jute Works were completed, employing many people.
• 1871
  • The Barrow Shipbuilding Company was created.
  • Barrow Corn Mills were built.
• 1872 - Furness Golf Club was founded.
• 1873 - The Duke of Devonshire was the first steamship built in Barrow.
• 1875
  • Barrow Football Club, which later became Barrow Raiders, was started.
  • The Devonshire Buildings were constructed.
• 1876 - Barrow's steelworks became the largest in the world.
• 1877 - St. James' Church installed a set of 8 bells.
• 1879 - Ramsden Dock was completed.
• 1881
  • The Barrow-in-Furness Borough Police force was set up.
  • The SS City of Rome was launched, briefly becoming the world's largest passenger ship.
• 1882 - Barrow Central railway station opened.
• 1884 - Michaelson Road Bridge was opened.
• 1885
  • The Barrow and Furness area got its own Member of Parliament.
  • The Barrow-in-Furness Tramways Company started running trams.
• 1886 - The Ottoman submarine Abdül Hamid was launched in Barrow. It was the first submarine to fire a live torpedo underwater.
• 1887
  • Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall was officially opened by the Duke of Devonshire.
  • North Lonsdale Hospital opened to care for people.
• 1888 - Barrow became a county borough, giving it more local control.
• 1889 - The Co-operative Building was constructed.
• 1891 - The population of Barrow grew to 51,712 people.
• 1896 - Sir James Ramsden, Barrow's first mayor, passed away.
• 1897 - The Barrow Shipbuilding Company was bought by Vickers Limited and became Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering.
• 1898 - The North-Western Daily Mail newspaper started publishing.
• 1899 - The Barrow-in-Furness power station began operating.

Barrow in the 1900s

The Mayfly airship disaster happened in Cavendish Dock.

HMS Dreadnought, the UK's first nuclear submarine, was launched in 1960.

INS Viraat was launched as the Royal Navy's HMS Hermes in 1953.

Devonshire Dock Hall was finished in 1986 and had the world's largest shiplift.

• 1900 - The Japanese battleship Mikasa was launched.
• 1901
  • The population of Barrow reached 67,354 people.
  • Barrow A.F.C. football club was started.
  • The Vickerstown housing estate was completed.
• 1902 - Abbey Road Synagogue was built.
• 1903 - The Barrow Technical School was established.
• 1904 - The Hotel Majestic was built.
• 1908
  • Jubilee Bridge was opened, connecting Walney Island.
  • Barrow Park was created for everyone to enjoy.
• 1909
  • The Brazilian battleship São Paulo and HMS Vanguard were launched.
• 1911 - The Mayfly airship disaster occurred.
• 1912
  • Barrow Central Fire Station opened.
  • The Japanese battleship Kongō was launched.
• 1914
  • World War I began, and 616 men from Barrow died in the war.
  • Abbey House was built.
  • An explosion happened on the tanker SS Vedra, killing 36 people.
• 1919 - The Barrow Park Cenotaph war memorial was built.
• 1922
  • Barrow Main Public Library opened.
  • There were some protests and violence over shipyard working hours.
• 1929 - The Buccleuch Street Electricity Plant started producing power.
• 1931 - The RMS Strathaird passenger ship was launched.
• 1932 - The Barrow-in-Furness Tramways Company stopped running trams.
• 1938 - The John Whinnerah Institute was established.
• 1939
  • World War II began, and 268 men from Barrow died in the war.
  • HMS Illustrious aircraft carrier was launched.
• 1940
  • HMS Indomitable was launched by Winston Churchill.
  • HMS Upholder, a very successful British submarine, was launched.
  • German air raids (bombing) on Barrow began during World War II.
• 1941
  • Barrow/Walney Island Airport opened as a Royal Air Force base.
  • Most of the Barrow Blitz (heavy bombing) happened, killing 83 civilians.
• 1943 - HMS Colossus was launched.
• 1945
  • HMAS Melbourne was launched.
  • The RMS Empress of Russia ship was badly damaged by fire.
• 1947 - Barrow Hematite Steel Company Limited changed its name to Barrow Ironworks Limited.
• 1951 - Barrow's population reached its highest point at 76,619 people.
• 1953 - HMS Hermes, the largest naval ship built in Barrow, was launched.
• 1954 - The Roosecote Power Station opened, using coal to make electricity.
• 1955 - Barrow rugby league team won the Challenge Cup for the first and only time so far.
• 1959 - The SS Oriana passenger ship was launched.
• 1960 - Queen Elizabeth II launched HMS Dreadnought, the UK's first nuclear-powered submarine.
• 1963 - The iron ore mines ran out, and the ironworks stopped operating.
• 1965 - Queen Elizabeth II launched the oil tanker British Admiral, the first UK ship over 100,000 tonnes.
• 1967 - Craven House was built.
• 1971 - HMS Swiftsure submarine was launched.
• 1974
  • The Borough of Barrow-in-Furness was officially formed.
  • Barrow became part of the new county of Cumbria, moving from Lancashire.
• 1977 - HMS Invincible aircraft carrier was launched.
• 1980 - Barrow's last steelworks closed down.
• 1981 - HMS Trafalgar submarine was launched.
• 1984 - Furness General Hospital opened.
• 1985 - The Rampside Gas Terminal started collecting gas from the Irish Sea.
• 1986 - Devonshire Dock Hall was completed.
• 1990 - Barrow A.F.C. won the FA Trophy football competition.
• 1992
  • Commercial flights stopped at Barrow/Walney Island Airport.
  • HMS Vanguard submarine was launched.
  • The Dalton bypass road opened.
• 1994 - South Lakes Wild Animal Park opened.
• 1995 - GEC bought Barrow's shipyard.
• 1997 - The Dock Museum opened.
• 1998
  • Portland Walk Shopping Centre opened.
  • Queen Elizabeth II named HMS Ocean after it was fitted out in Barrow.
• 1999 - GEC merged with BAE Systems, and the shipyard became part of BAE Systems Marine.

Barrow in the 2000s

The Barrow Offshore Wind Farm was one of the first built off the coast.

• 2000 - RFA Wave Knight ship was launched.
• 2001
  • The population of Barrow was 71,979 people.
  • HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark ships were launched.
• 2002 - A major outbreak of a sickness called legionellosis occurred.
• 2006
  • The local council faced a legal challenge.
  • The Barrow Offshore Wind Farm was completed.
• 2007 - HMS Astute submarine was launched.
• 2010
  • Construction began on 'The Waterfront' development.
  • Barrow A.F.C. won the FA Trophy again.
• 2011 - Problems at Furness General Hospital came to light.
• 2014 - The 8 bells at St James' Church were fixed and could be rung again after 15 years.
• 2016 - The UK Government approved the building of the Dreadnought-class submarines in Barrow.