Barnsbury
Barnsbury is an area of north London in the London Borough of Islington, in the N1 postal district.
The name is a syncopated form of Bernersbury (1274),[1] being so called after the Berners family: powerful medieval manorial lords who gained ownership of a large part of Islington after the Norman Conquest. The area of Barnsbury was predominantly rural until the early nineteenth century.
By the end of the 18th century, however, Barnsbury, like other parts of Islington, was being regarded as attractive part-rural suburbs by the comparatively wealthy people wanting to move out of the cramped City of London and industrial Clerkenwell. The area is close to the City, and had strong local trade in its position as the first staging post for travellers making the journey from London to the north, and with considerable agricultural traffic and cattle driving to the nearby Smithfield cattle market in the City.
Barnard Park, consisting of 10 acres including a large area of football pitches, was created in 1967 on an area of housing that had been bombed during World War Two and named after former Islington Mayor Cllr George Barnard.[2]
Pentonville Prison (built 1842) is located within Barnsbury.
Since 2006, Barnsbury ward has been represented by three Labour councillors.[3][4][5][6]
Notable people
- Michael Faraday (1791–1867) chemist
- Emily Thornberry (born 1960) Labour Party MP for Islington South and Finsbury
- Gillian Anderson (born 1968) actress, activist and writer [7]
- Grayson Perry artist
- Owen Jones Labour activist
Nearest stations
Nearby areas
References
- Mills, D., Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names, (2000)
- Morris, James (16 June 2018). "From war bombing to 'stinking' paddling pools: A history of Barnard Park". Islington Gazette. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- "2018 Islington London Borough Council election", Wikipedia, 24 December 2020, retrieved 2 January 2021
- "2014 Islington London Borough Council election", Wikipedia, 29 May 2020, retrieved 2 January 2021
- "2010 Islington London Borough Council election", Wikipedia, 26 December 2020, retrieved 2 January 2021
- "2006 Islington London Borough Council election", Wikipedia, 31 December 2020, retrieved 2 January 2021
- IMDb Database retrieved 2 May 2019