The following is a timeline of the history of Barrow-in-Furness, England, United Kingdom.
Prior to 19th century Neolithic period – Earliest known habitation within present-day Barrow 9th century – Viking settlement of the Furness peninsula 1086 – The Doomesday Book records settlements in Hietun, Rosse and Hougenai (now Hawcoat, Roose and Walney) 1123 – Furness Abbey is established 1190 – Barrow Island from which Barrow takes its name is first recorded as being named Barrai 1327 – The current Piel Castle is completed 1537 – Furness Abbey is destroyed in the English Reformation
19th century
1801 – Population of village of Barrow stood at 1,958 during 1801 UK Census 1804 – Walney Lighthouse is completed 1839 – Henry Schneider arrives to exploit local iron ore 1846 Furness Railway is opened Roa Island causeway is completed 1847 – Population: 325. 1850 – Expansive haematite deposits are discovered in the area 1852 – Jane Roper is the first ship to be built in Barrow 1858 – St. Mary of Furness Roman Catholic Church is built 1859 – Schneider Hannay & Co is founded. 1860 – Barrow Co-operative Society is established 1861 – St. George's Church is built 1863 – Construction begins on Barrow's dock system 1865 A magnitude 3.0 earthquake causes extensive damage to the Rampside area Schneider Hannay & Co becomes the Barrow Hematite Steel Company. 1867 Barrow is granted municipal borough status Sir James Ramsden becomes first mayor of Barrow Devonshire Dock opens. Cases' Brewery opens 1869 – St. James' Church is built 1870 – Barrow Jute Works are completed 1871 The Barrow Shipbuilding Company is established Barrow Corn Mills are built 1872 – Furness Golf Club is founded 1873 – Duke of Devonshire is the first steamship to be built in Barrow 1875 Barrow Football Club, the forerunner of Barrow Raiders is established Devonshire Buildings are built 1876 – Barrow's steelworks become the world's largest 1877 – St. James' Church installs a ring of 8 bells – first rung on St James' day (25th July) 1879 – Ramsden Dock completed. 1881 The autonomous Barrow-in-Furness Borough Police force is established SS City of Rome is launched, briefly the world's largest liner 1882 – Barrow Central railway station is opened 1884 – Michaelson Road Bridge is opened 1885 The Barrow and Furness parliament constituency is established Barrow-in-Furness Tramways Company commences operation. 1886 – Ottoman submarine Abdül Hamid is launched in Barrow and becomes the first submarine to fire a live torpedo underwater 1887 Barrow Town Hall is opened by Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire North Lonsdale Hospital is opened 1888 – Town becomes a county borough. 1889 – Co-operative Building built. 1891 – Population: 51,712. 1896 – Death of Sir James Ramsden mechanical engineer, industrialist, and first mayor of Barrow. 1897 – The Barrow Shipbuilding Company becomes Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering after being purchased by Vickers Limited 1898 – The North-Western Daily Mail first begins publishing 1899 – Barrow-in-Furness power station commissioned.
20th century
1900 – Japanese battleship Mikasa is launched 1901 Population of Barrow stood at 67,354 during 1901 UK Census Barrow A.F.C. is established The Vickerstown estate is completed 1902 – Abbey Road Synagogue is built 1903 – The Barrow Technical School is established 1904 – Hotel Majestic built. 1908 Jubilee Bridge is opened. Barrow Park created. 1909 Brazilian battleship São Paulo and HMS Vanguard are launched 1911 – The Mayfly airship disaster 1912 Barrow Central Fire Station is opened Japanese battleship Kongō is launched 1914 The outbreak of World War I in which 616 Barrovian men die Abbey House is built Explosion occurs on Tanker SS Vedra which runs aground off Walney killing 36 1919 – Barrow Park Cenotaph is built 1922 Barrow Main Public Library is opened Sporadic marches and violence occur over shipyard overtime disputes 1929 – Buccleuch Street Electricity Plant opens 1931 – RMS Strathaird is launched 1932 – Barrow-in-Furness Tramways Company ceases operation 1938 – The John Whinnerah Institute is established 1939 Outbreak of World War II in which 268 Barrovian men die HMS Illustrious is launched 1940 HMS Indomitable is launched by Winston Churchill HMS Upholder the most successful British submarine of the war is launched Luftwaffe aerial bombardment of Barrow during World War II begins 1941 Barrow/Walney Island Airport is opened as a Royal Air Force base The majority of the Barrow Blitz takes place killing 83 civilians 1943 – HMS Colossus is launched 1944 – The role of Bishop of Barrow-in-Furness is placed in abeyance 1945 HMAS Melbourne is launched RMS Empress of Russia is gutted by fire in Buccleuch Dock 1947 – Barrow Hematite Steel Company Limited becomes Barrow Ironworks Limited 1951 – Barrow's population peaks at 76,619 during the 1951 UK Census 1953 – HMS Hermes the largest naval vessel built in Barrow is launched 1954 – The coal-fired Roosecote Power Station opens 1955 – First and to date only time Barrow have won rugby league's Challenge Cup 1959 – SS Oriana is launched 1960 – Queen Elizabeth II launches HMS Dreadnought the UK's first nuclear powered submarine 1963 – Iron ore deposits run out and ironworks cease operation 1965 – Queen Elizabeth II launches oil tanker British Admiral, the first UK vessel to exceed 100,000 tonnes 1967 – Craven House built. 1971 – HMS Swiftsure is launched 1974 The Borough of Barrow-in-Furness is formed Barrow is annexed from Lancashire to become part of the modern county of Cumbria 1977 – HMS Invincible is launched 1980 – Barrow's last remaining steelworks close down 1981 – HMS Trafalgar is launched 1984 – Furness General Hospital is opened 1985 – Rampside Gas Terminal first collects gas from the Irish Sea 1986 – Devonshire Dock Hall is completed 1990 – Barrow A.F.C. win the FA Trophy 1992 Commercial operations cease at Barrow/Walney Island Airport HMS Vanguard is launched Dalton bypass opens 1994 – South Lakes Wild Animal Park opens 1995 – GEC buys Barrow's shipyard 1997 – Dock Museum opens 1998 Queen Elizabeth II names HMS Ocean after being fitted out in Barrow 1999 – GEC is merged with BAE Systems and the shipyard becomes part of BAE Systems Marine
21st century
2000 – RFA Wave Knight is launched 2001 Population of Barrow stood at 71,979 during 2001 UK Census HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark are launched 2002 – A major outbreak of legionellosis occurs 2006 Local council becomes first public body charged with manslaughter Barrow Offshore Wind Farm is completed 2007 – HMS Astute is launched 2010 Construction of 'The Waterfront' begins Barrow A.F.C. win the FA Trophy 2011 – Furness General Hospital scandal comes to light 2014 – The 8 bells at St James' Church are restored after being unsafe to ring and silent for 15 years. 2016 – UK Government approves construction of the Dreadnought-class submarines in Barrow 2021 – AUKUS partnership is established with a 2023 commitment to designing and constructing a new class of submarine in Barrow 2024 – Borough of Barrow-in-Furness is abolished upon merging of the district with Eden and South Lakeland to for Westmorland and Furness unitary authority, whilst Barrow Town Council is established 2025 – King Charles III grants royal patronage to the Port of Barrow and a mark of royal favour to the town itself.
See also History of Cumbria Listed buildings in Barrow-in-Furness List of ships and submarines built in Barrow-in-Furness List of people from Barrow-in-Furness
References
Further reading