Barnsbury
Barnsbury is an area of north London in the London Borough of Islington, within the N1 and N7 postal districts.
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Country — England • Region — London • Official Name — Barnsbury • Os Grid Reference — TQ305845 • Post Town — LONDON • Postcode Area — N • Postcode District — N1, N7 • London Borough — Islington • Dial Code — 020 • Constituency Westminster — Islington South and Finsbury • Illustration — A map showing the Barnsbury ward of Islington Metropolitan Borough as it appeared in 1916.
History
History
The name is a syncopated form of Bernersbury (1274), 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 19th century. By the end of the 18th century, Barnsbury, like other parts of Islington, was regarded as an attractive part-rural suburb 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 (4 hectares) 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 was named after former Islington Mayor Cllr George Barnard. Pentonville Prison (built 1842) is located within Barnsbury.
Governance
Governance
Since 2006, Barnsbury electoral ward has been represented by three Labour councillors.
Notable people
Notable people
• Tony and Cherie Blair, former Prime Minister and his wife, lived in Barnsbury with their family. • Michael Faraday (1791–1867), chemist • Owen Jones (born 1984), Labour activist • Enid Marx (1902–1998) painter and designer, known for industrial textile designs for the London Transport Board and the Utility furniture Scheme. • Ivor Moreton (1908–1984), pianist and singer, born in Barnsbury • Grayson Perry (born 1960), artist • Emily Thornberry (born 1960), Labour Party MP for Islington South and Finsbury
Nearest stations
Nearest stations
• Caledonian Road & Barnsbury Overground station • Angel tube station • Caledonian Road tube station • Highbury and Islington station • Holloway Road tube station
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Barnsbury, revision 1369014640 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Mills, D., Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names, (2000)
- 2.Morris, James. From war bombing to 'stinking' paddling pools: A history of Barnard Park. Islington Gazette. 2018-06-16.
- 3.politics.co.uk. Islington South and Finsbury – Liberals are irrelevant, says Labour MP. 22 April 2010.
- 4.The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 26 September 2026.
Elsewhere in General
22,760 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- BarnesPlace
- BarnesboroPlace
- BarnetPlace
- Barneville-la-BertranPlace
- BarnsleyPlace
- Barnsley CollegeOrganisation
- BarnstablePlace
- BarnstaplePlace
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