Timeline

1055, Nov-Dec.  The boundary of Barnet appears in King Athelred’s grant (source, source2, source 3).

1064 – 1077.  First mention of the place name Barneto (source, source2).

1199. 23rd August – Barnet Market Granted its Charter (source – latin, 1837. Translation in Leftwich MSS Vol. 1, Book in Barnet Museum. Original at National Archives?)

1272 – Barnet Church, first mention of a chapel (source)

1321. 5th October – First mention of Chepyng Barnet in Calendar of Close Rolls, Edward II: Volume 3, 1318-1323 (source, source 2)

1330-1362. In 2020, it was discovered 54a High St was from this time (source) (youtube)

1348. Black Death kills 80 of the 350 population  (source, source2)

1381. 13th June – The Peasants’ Revolt (source, Barnet and Haldey Past – Taylor – p30)

1413. High St, “‘so blocked with dung, dung heaps, pigs, pigsties”, etc. (source)

1423, 1426. Barnet was visited by the archbishop of Canterbury, but we did not ring the bells which caused great offence. (source), (source2).

1426.  March 22. Monks of St Albans Abbey marched in solemn procession to Barnet (source).

1471, 13th April. Battle of Barnet.  King Edwards IV forces marched from Smithfield to London (route).

1471, 14th April. Battle of Barnet. (source)

1494. Monken Hadley Church rebuilt. (source)

1536 – 1540. Reformation of England.  Henry VIII orders every single abbey and priory to dissolve/close (source).  Most local manors passed from the Church to local landowners. (Barnet Museum information board 2025)

1548/1550, Halls Cronicle mentions the Battle of Barnet. (source)

Late August 1555, William Hale was burnt at the stake. (source point 12., source2, source3, source4)

1558, Queen Elizabeth I spent the night in Barnet (Old Fold Manor). (source)

1573, 24th March. Charter for the Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth. (source)

1577. Tudor Hall Built. (source)

1586. Barnet Physic well first mentioned in William Camden’s Brittania (1586) (source)

1588, February 6th. Elizabeth I granted a charter for Barnet Fair. (source. Text of Charter appears in Hendon and Finchley Times Sept 15, 1988)

1590-1610. Wall Painting of parable of the Prodigal Son created at Knightsland Farm House.

1609, 20 May – Thomas Thorpe, son of an innkeeper from Barnet, Hertfordshire, published the first edition of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. (source, source2, source3)

1610, 19 November – Eminent Barber-Surgeon William Gale died – master of Barber-Surgeons in 1605 and 1610.  Buried in Monken Hadley Church. (source1, source2, source3).

1611(?) Lady Arbella Stuart stayed at the “Crown” at Barnet. (source)

1616. Wilbraham’s Almshouses built at the corner of Hadley Green and Dury Road by Sir Roger Wilbraham. (source)

1633. The Mitre Inn established by 1633. (source)

1642-1660. Barnet at the time of the English Civil War. (source)

1649 – Short lived Digger community on the common. (source) (source2)

1651 – Scottish army arrived at Barnet. “The arrival of the Scottish Army at Barnet in August 1651 caused some consternation in the County…” (source)

1660, February. General Monk marched with his army from Barnet to the City on his way to open up negotiations for the restoration of Charles II. Wikipedia suggests it was 3rd Feb. (source, source2).

1652, June 5th. Barnet water mentioned in Perfect Diurnal.

1656. The well house was built and a keeper appointed.

1664 11 July, 1667, Diarist Samuel Pepys visited (source) (source2)

1665, The Great Plague of London (source)

1666, The Great Fire of London. Senior Clerk at Post Office, Threadneedle St, James Hicks escaped to the Red Lion, High Barnet with his family. (source, source2, source3)

1671, 29th September. Married mens feast / Banquet of Barnet (Herts memories) (Herts Archive, source, source2, source3)

1675, Map. High Barnet – Hollyhead.  High Barnet – Oakham.

1677, 11 August – Samuel Pepys ate “the best cheese-cakes that ever I eat in my life” (source)

1679, James Ravenscroft gave money for alms-houses. (source)

1690, 9th November – “7 Highwaymen target a coach at Wash Lane (South Mimms) carrying £15000 of tax money from Birmingham to London.” (source, source 2)

1699, 12th September – Mr Clinch of Barnet, amimic virtuoso, appears in the London Stage Database (source). David Bowie was a fan (source).

1700 – Description of Barnet in “The historical antiquities of Hertfordshire” (source)

1712 – Turnpike added to “the section of the Great North Road from Highgate Gate House, Middlesex to Barnet Blockhouse” (source)

1722 – William Defoe’s “Moll Flanders”, mentions Barnet. (source)

1725 – “Elizabeth Allen, gave, by will, 16 acres to erect or provide a school-house”. (source)

1729 – John Garrett, gave, by will, money to build alms-houses. (source)

1740 – A monument to the Battle of Barnet was erected in 1740. (source)

1754 – Wrotham Park, a Palladian mansion designed by Isaac Ware. (source)

1756 – Barnet is listed as having accomodation for 190 beds and stabling for 450 horses. (source) (source2)

1763 – Nevil Maskelyne, the fifth British Astronomer Royal.  “[whilst curate in Chipping Barnet he] worked on publishing a book. He published the lunar distance method for determining longitude in The British Mariner’s Guide (1763)” (source) (1758 Notebook)

1784, 2nd August. First specially-built Royal Mail coach began its scheduled service from Bristol to London. (source, National Archives).

1786. Map

1795. Description of Barnet in “The environs of London: being an historical account of the towns, villages, and hamlets, within twelve miles of that capital” (source)

1824 – Elizabeth Allen school was opened on Wood St (source)

1827 – Barnet Hill built by John McAdam (source)

1828 – St Albans Road built by Thomas Telford (source)

1834, 11th Sept, The Times reports “This fair, which is known to be the largest for cattle of any in England…”.  “The show of Scotch and Welsh beasts was far deficient of last year, the actual numbers being 6500 Scots, 1500 North Wales, about the same number of South and 1100 Devons; of other descriptions there are about 2,000.” (source)

1836, Timetable of Stage-Coach routes from London via Barnet (source)

1837, Febuary.  The novel Oliver Twist was first published.  Chapter 8 is part set in Barnet. (source, source2)

1837, 27th March, Inmates were transferrred to the new Barnet Union Workhouse. (source) (source2) (source3)

1840’s, England’s first Hydropathic Establishment opens in Bells Lane (source)

1844, 13th May. Christ Church land purchased. Designed and built by Sir Gilbert Scott (source: indenture in Open Door Centre)

1856, 26-29 August. The first of the annual Barnet Conference organised by Pennefather, Christ Church. – “to promote personal holiness, brotherly love, and increased interest in the work of the Lord” (source) . “This later merged in to the Keswick Conference, for which they served as a model” (source)

1857, David Livingstone, Missionary and Explorer lived in Livingstone Cottage, Hadley Green. (source)

1859, June. Barnet Press established. (source)

1866. Whalebones Cottage appears on a map. Published 1868. (source)

1869, Monken Holt opens. (as the Bell)

1870, 6th September – Final horse race meeting at Barnet Racecource (source)

1872, 1st April – Great Northern Railway opens High Barnet Station. (source)

1877, 14th February – The Cowing family go “Rinking”.  A Poem. (source)

1877, 2nd June – “The Barnet Press reports 117 scarlet fever cases in the area due to infected milk.” (source)

1885 – Cattle Trough erected in Barnet (Black Horse, Mayhill Road, Barnet Cattle Market – removed 1933)

1885, 1 May – Hadley Wood Railway Station opened (source).

1885, 8 August – Hadley Green Drinking Fountain unveiled (source).

1888 – Barnet F.C. formed (source)

1888 – Victoria Hospital opened (source)

1888, 20 Sept – QE Girls School opened with 40 pupils aged 5-18. (source)

1888, 23rd October – “Julia Hyde bequests £10,000 to provide a library and reading room to be built in Church Passage.” (source)

1889, 31st January. Barnet Band formed. (source, source2)

1889, 15th June. Fire at Middle Row. (source)

1891. Exchange Buildings constructed “on the site of the 19th Century Corn Exchange where local farmers and merchants traded cereals” (source)

1892. High Barnet Methodist Church (at the now The Spires Shopping Centre) was opened (source)

1893, 24th November – Barnet Cricket Club was founded. (source)

1895, 26th March. 8am. – Birt Acres made the first successful motion picture film opposite 19 Park Road, Barnet (source, source 2, source3)

1900, 5th July. Boer War Fundraising Carnival (source)

1906, Photo (Red Lion) (Spires) (Hadley Church) (Camlet Way) (Postcard Barnet Church) (Hadley Gates) (Barnet Post Office) (Barnet Police) (Barnet Alston Football League Pic)

1907 – Ewen Hall Built (source)

1907, 28th March – The first tram in High Barnet tested the track. (source)

1907, 14th September – Barnet F.C. first match at Underhill (source)

1908, 15th August – The Great Fire at High Barnet. (source)

1912, 26th December – The Cinema Palace opened on the High St (where Iceland currently is). Later renamed the Gaumont. (source)

1914. Outbreak of WW1. A bus is commandeered on the High St to take soldiers to Hertford Barracks (source)

1916, 1st September – Barnet searchlights help the shooting down of airship in Potters Bar (source)

1918, 22 June – Cicely Saunders born in Barnet. Founder of the Modern Hospice Movement (source).

1919 – Barnet Rugby Football Club formed. (source)

1920, April – London (High St, High Barnet) to Manchester Car trial (source – Brooklands to Goodwood, Walkerley, 1961)

1920, 27th June – Unveiling War Memorial, East Barnet. (source)

1924, 15th November – Princess Helena Victoria opens Victoria Cottage Hospital in Wood Street. (source)

1926, Barnet Football Club Supports Association formed. (source)

1926 May 4th-12th, General Strike.  Barnet Press produced Emergency Editions. (source)

1927, Barnet Record Society Founded, later Barnet Museum & Local History Society. (source)

1932, 3rd November. Prince George opens QE Boys. (source)

1933, 28th October – Oak Hill Park officially opens. (source)

1934, 15th June – A Roman Flint wall 28ft long and a 27ft deep well is discovered under the drapers at 66 High St (Currently Tesco Express) (source, source 2).

1935, 15th May – Barnet Odeon officially opens. (source)

1938, 5th February – “The swimming pool at the YMCA, 121 Barnet High Street, was demolished.” (source)

1939, May – Replacement Whalebones installed at entrance to Whalebones, Wood St. (source)

1940, 14 April – Electric trains arrive at High Barnet station (source)

1945, 2nd May – Barnet Society was founded (source)

1945, 27th  May – Civil Defence, Final Parade and Stand Down (source)

1946, 20th April – Barnet F.C. 3-2 Bishop Auckland in Final of F.A. Amateur Cup. Football in Barnet Museum. (source) (youtube)

1946, 19th October – At Underhill, first televised post-Second World War football match. (source)

1953, 23-25 May. “over a recent Whitsun Bank Holiday no fewer than 40,000 people visited Hadley Woods”  (source)

1954, Dory’s cafe opens (source).

1954, 4th January. Harold Macmillan in Mays Lane to open the last new house completed in 1953 (youtube).

1959, 18th April. Barnet F.C. v Crook Town, Amateur Cup final (source)

1959, 19th August. The final livestock auction took place at Barnet Cattle Market (source)

1964. Video of Barnet & East Barnet by Barnet Rotary. (source)

1965, 1st April. Chipping Barnet becomes part of the London Borough of Barnet. (source) (youtube)

1968, 20th December. Monken Hadley Conservation Area was designated. (source, source2)

1969. Fire at Hadley Brewery. (source)

1969, 25th April. Wood Street Conservation Area was designated. (source, source2)

1969, 29th August. Dollis Valley Estate. First council houses handed over to council. (source)

1972, 15th April. Barnet F.C. v. Stafford Rangers (0, 3), in the FA Challenge Trophy. (programme cover, youtube clip)

1989, May. The Spires Shopping Centre opened. Officially opened by actress Jan Harvey on 27 Sept 1989 (source, source2)

1991, Chipping Barnet Library Opens. Previously the library was located at the Hyde Institute and Reading Rooms in Church Passage. (source)

2007, 23rd June – The first Summer Soulstice event. (youtube)

2007, 7th October – Seve Ballesteros officially opens his golf course at The Shire London. (source)

2013, 20th April. Barnet F.C. last game at Underhill.  (match report, youtube)

2017, 11 June. First Barnet Medieveal Festival (source).

2018, 10th November. Barnet Market moved to The Spires Shopping Centre Bandstand Area. (source)

2020, 28th October. Medival timbers discovered at 54a High Street, the oldest shop in Barnet and the second oldest timber framed building in London. (news report, lecture report p3, laser scanning, drawings, youtube)

2023, 27th April. Hadley Green water fountain re-opened.  (report, youtube)