Timeline of Barrow-in-Furness

The following is a timeline of the history of Barrow-in-Furness, England, United Kingdom.

Prior to 19th century

 * 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
 * Portland Walk Shopping Centre opens
 * 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