Timeline of Barrow in Furness

Prior to 19th century

1086 - The Domesday 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

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

1881

The antonymous 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 completed

North Lonsdale Hospital is opened

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

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

1908 - Jubilee Bridge is opened

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 vessle 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 vessle to exceed 100,000 tonnes

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

2016 - UK Government approves construction of the Dreadnought-class submarines in Barrow