Barnsbury is an area of north London in the

London Borough of Islington The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough, borough in North London, England. Forming part of Inner London, Islington has an estimated population of 215,667. It was formed in 1965, under the London Government Act 1963, by the amalg ...

, within the N1 and N7 postal districts.

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 Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

. 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 The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

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 Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

Mayor Cllr George Barnard. Pentonville Prison (built 1842) is located within Barnsbury.

Governance

Since 2006, Barnsbury electoral ward has been represented by three Labour councillors.

Notable people

* Gillian Anderson (born 1968), actress, activist and writer * Tony and Cherie Blair, former Prime Minister and his wife, lived in Barnsbury with their family. *

Michael Faraday Michael Faraday (; 22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the study of electrochemistry and electromagnetism. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic inducti ...

(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 The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; ''Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911'' * Grayson Perry (born 1960), artist * Emily Thornberry (born 1960), Labour Party MP for Islington South and Finsbury * Richard de Rothschild , Rothschild_banking_family_of_England Business Entrepreneur lived in Barnsbury 1991-2006

Nearest stations

* Caledonian Road & Barnsbury Overground station * Angel tube station * Caledonian Road tube station * Highbury and Islington station

Nearby areas

References

{{Authority control Districts of the London Borough of Islington Areas of London