HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS

Although the Julian ("Old Style") calendar had been replaced by the Gregorian ("New Style") calendar on most of the continent in 1582 and in Scotland in 1660, in England and Wales until 1751 the year was still identified (by the church) as beginning on March 25, so that an event listed as say 1625 February 20 would, on today's basis, be 1626 February 20. However, the New Style system was used earlier by the civil authorities; on the other hand, natural resistance to change meant that the old year system persisted in part for some time.

"Chesterfield's Act" of 1751 provided that 1752 would start on January 1, that 1752 September 2 would be followed immediately by 1752 September 14 and that the Julian calendar would be replaced by the Gregorian calendar. However, the new date system was not adopted immediately everywhere.

The various effects of these changes mean that care needs to be exercised in interpreting references to dates around 1626 and 1752. Also, the Quakers had their own practices with respect to the representation of dates.

 

BRITAIN
FURNESS
RAILWAYS
SHIPPING

 

 

BRITAIN

1642-1651 Civil War
1649 Charles 1 executed
1649-1660 Commonwealth
1689 Toleration Act
1833 Smallpox epidemic
1840 Introduction of postal system
1845 Potato crop failed in Ireland, Belgium and Holland.
1851 Start of Australian gold rush
1853 Cholera prevalent in England
1861 American Civil War commenced
1862 Cotton famine in Lancashire
1870 Forster's Education Act led to primary education for all
1870 Smallpox epidemic
1871 Trade unions legalized
1880 School attendance for children up to age 10 became compulsory
1885 First legal cremation
1891 Act for free education passed
1916 Rebellion in Ireland
1922 Partition of Ireland

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FURNESS
1127 Furness Abbey founded
1568 St. Mary's church, Walney, founded
1621 Rampside church founded
1623-1624 Mortality crisis in north-west England (cause unknown)
1631 Plague in North Scale
1745 Lindal iron ore first exported from Barrow
1747 Newland furnace built
1776 First "mine floor" established at Barrow
1778 Ulverston Congregational Church founded
1780 First iron ore jetty at Barrow
1785 Backbarrow furnace dismantled
1800 Slate industry bread riot
1814 Ulverston Wesleyan Church founded
1839 Schneider began exploration for iron deposits
1848-1871 Barrow chapel of ease, Abbey Road
1849 St. George's school opened
1851 Very rich Park iron ore deposit discovered by Schneider
1852 St. George's school licensed for divine service
1853 Barrow Baptist hut, South Walney, built
1857 Congregational Chapel, Hindpool Road, built
1859 First iron blast furnace blown in (Schneider & Hannay, Hindpool)
1860-1879 Immigration from Cornwall, Staffordshire, Scotland & Ireland
1861 St. George's church consecrated (as a District Chapelry of Dalton)
1862 First Barrow Wesleyan Chapel, Hindpool Road
1864 Company formed to use Bessemer process
1865 Roman Catholic mission established in Barrow
1865  Earthquake at Rampside and Barrow; many houses damaged
1866 Primitive Methodist Chapel, Forshaw Street, built
1866 First hospital in Barrow
1867 St. Mary's Roman Catholic church completed
1867 Devonshire Dock opened
1867 Trinity Presbyterian first met (later School Street)
1867 Barrow incorporated as Borough, bounded by Thwaite Flat, Millwood level crossing, Piel Castle and Walney Channel
1869 St. James's church consecrated
1870 First sod for jute mill cut
1870 Start of importation of Spanish and Irish iron ore
1871 St. George's became separate parish
1871 St. Paul's church erected
1872 Barrow boundaries increased by Walney, Sheep, Piel & Foulney
1873 Second Barrow Congregational Church formed (later Ainslie Street)
1873 Barrow became a Petty Sessional division of Lancashire
1873 Barrow Baptist chapel, Abbey Road, built
1874 North Lonsdale Hospital opened
1874 First sod for Ulverston ironworks cut
1874 "Scotch" tenements being built in Barrow
1874 Primitive Methodist Chapel, Hartington Street, built
1874 Wesleyan Chapel, Hartington Street, built
1875 Part of Yarlside added to Barrow Borough
1875 Primitive Methodist Chapel, Marsh Street, built
1876 Wesleyan Chapel, Abbey Road, opened
1876 Wesleyan Chapel, Greengate Street, opened
1877 First public transport in Barrow
1878 Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John churches opened
1878 Hawcoat Lane school opened
1879 Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John churches consecrated
1881 Chapelry of Rampside amalgamated with Barrow
1882 Peak year for iron mining. Measles epidemic in Dalton
1885 Barrow's first MP elected
1885-1895 Recession in iron mining
1889 Many strikes
1889 Barrow formed into County Borough
1890 Barrow granted its own Commission of the Peace
1891 Newland furnace ceased production.
1896 Barrow Salt Co. formed
1896-1903 Emigration to South African gold fields
1899 Isle of Walney Estates Co. acquired by Vickers Ltd
1904-1913 Emigration to America
1908 Walney Bridge opened
1909 Construction of first naval airship commenced.
1911c Jute mill burned down.
1918 Askam furnaces closed
1922 Heavy unemployment in Barrow
1933 Heavy unemployment in Barrow
1938 Ulverston furnaces closed
1939 Ashley Accessories opened in Ulverston
1941 Roanhead mines closed
1944 Newton mines closed
1947 Lister & Co. built pilot factory
1959 British Cellophane established factory in Barrow
1962 Court of Quarter Sessions established in Barrow
1963 Barrow Ironworks closed

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RAILWAYS
1840 Roa Island bought by John Abel Smith
1846 Furness Railway opened from Kirkby and Crooklands to Rampside and Barrow
1847 Railway between Dalton and Rampside doubled
1847 Roa Island causeway completed
1848 Railway completed between Kirkby and Broughton
1850 Whitehaven & Furness Junction Railway opened (Broughton and Bootle)
1851 Furness Railway extended from Crooklands to Lindal
1852 Furness Railway extended from Lindal to Ulverston Road
1852 Piel Pier damaged in storm
1854 Railway from Lindal reached Ulverston
1857 Ulverston & Lancaster Railway opened (Ulverston and Carnforth)
1859 Coniston Railway opened (Foxfield and Coniston)
1863 Doubling of railway between Barrow and Carnforth completed
1868 Stainton branch opened
1869 Lake Side branch opened
1874 Branch from Ulverston to Conishead Priory constructed
1881 Ramsden Dock line opened
1882 Barrow deviation line and Central station opened

NOTE: Barrow Record Office has available for sale a Source List of the Furness Railway items in the Furness Collection .

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SHIPPING
1776 First "mine floor" established at Barrow
1781 First quay in district, at Greenodd
1796 Ulverston Canal opened
1847 James Fisher took over his brother's shipping interests
1847 First shipbuilding in Barrow (Ashburner)
1848 Busiest year for Ulverston Canal
1849 Steamer commenced plying on Windermere
1857 Barrow Channel deepened
1867 Buccleuch(?) and Devonshire Docks opened
1867 Piel Pier / Douglas service inaugurated
1869 Barrow Shipbuilding Co. formed
1870 Barrow / Glasgow sailings started
1872 Barrow / Rotterdam service started
1873 Barrow Shipbuilding Co. launched first ship
1873? Buccleuch Dock opened
1877 Barrow Shipbuilding Co. built its first warship
1878 Last ship built in Ulverston
1879 Barrow / New York svc started. Extnsv cattle sheds blt
1879 Ramsden Dock opened officially
1882 Piel Pier services moved to Channel berth at Ramsden Dock
1886 Barrow Shipbuilding Co. built its first submarine.
1901 Barrow / Fleetwood summer service started
1918-1919 Concrete vessels built in Barrow

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