BARROW UPON HUMBER is one of the most ancient settlements in northern Lincolnshire. It was first mentioned in the 7th century with the gift of lands to St Chad to build a monastery ‘Ad Barvae’, from which the modern name Barrow derives.

Prior to 1066, Barrow – in common with many other parts of Lindsey – belonged to Saxon nobleman, Morcar, the Earl of Northumberland.

The earliest evidence of settlement in the village dates from the late Saxon period (8th to 11th centuries) – where Martin’s Close was built. This early centre is near to Down Hall, one of the manorial centres of Barrow.

By the time of the Domesday book, however, ownership had changed. In 1086, the survey records that Barrow had been given to a Norman nobleman – Drogo de Beuvriere, Count of Aumale.

Barrow at the time of Domesday had three manors – two of which became Royal manors – they were centred at Down Hall and Westcote.

A later Count of Aumale – William le Gross – founded the nearby Thornton Abbey in 1139.

The old core of the village follows a beck which rises in the Wolds and flows out into the Humber at Barrow Haven.

There are many springs which feed the beck and, for many centuries, people avoided building over the springs which could suddenly appear after several years of absence.

The following account of Barrow and the list of residents is taken from Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire from 1889.

BARROW-ON-HUMBER is a parish and large well-built village 2½ miles east of Barton, 2 south-west from New Holland station on that branch and 1¾ south from Barrow Haven station on the Barton branch of the Manchester Sheffield and Lincolnshire railway, 5 south-south-west from Hull and 2 south from the Humber, in the North Lindsey division of the county, parts of Lindsey, north division of the Yarbrough wapentake, Glandford Brigg union, Barton-upon-Humber petty sessional division and county court district, rural deanery of Yarborough No 1, archdeanery of Stow and diocese of Lincoln.

There is a ferry across the Humber to Hull.

The church of Holy Trinity is an ancient edifice of stone, in the Norman and early English styles, consisting of a chancel, nave, aisles, south porch, organ chamber and an embattled western tower with pinnacles, containing a clock and 6 bells, which have been re-hung, at a cost of £130; a stained triplet of lancets was inserted in 1856: the chancel retains a piscina and an aumbry; the church was partially restored in 1841 and 1846, and again in the year 1869, at a cost of £1,400, under the direction of Messrs Kirk and Parry, architects, of Sleaford: in 1868 the church was reseated and further restored: there are several stained windows and choir stalls of oak, erected mainly at the cost of Mrs Maw of the Grange: the church plate was presented by an ancestor of the late Mr Kirk of Barrow: there are sittings for 379 persons.

The register dates from the year 1561.

The living in a vicarage, tithe rent charge £190; net yearly value 4 including 35 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of the Lord Chacellor, and held since 1878 by the Rev John Edward Sampson.

Sir Cecil Wray bart. in 1669 bequeathed lands of found a Sunday afternoon lectureship, the appointment of which is in the hands of the trustees; the Rev John Edward Sampson, vicar, is the present lecturer.

Here are Wesleyan, Primitive Wesleyan and Congregational chapels.

Inn 1856, a Cemetery was formed, at a cost of £1,000, with an area of 2 acres: it has two chapels, and is under the control of the Burial Board of nine members.

The charities left in 1596, by Roger, 5th Earl of Rutland, amount to £14 2s 6d yearly, and are distributed among the poor by the vicar and churchwardens.

Barrow Fair is held on October 11th.

About a mile to the north-west of the village, on the marsh, is an earthwork called “The Castle,” in which human bones have been found: it occupies and area of about 8 acres, and consists of a large circular mound, surrounded by a fosse 40 feet wide, and surmounted by a small tumulus: round this was grouped several irregularly shaped outworks, also enfossed: the fortification was well protected on the south by a stream which formerly created a swamp or bog in that direction.

A little to the north of the village is the site of a convent, founded by St Chad on the 7th century and which Bede says remained in his time (673-735): some years ago stone coffins, a gold ring, an iron weapon and other relics were found here.

Barrow Hall, on the south side of the village, is a well-built mansion of brick, in the occupation of George Charles Uppleby esq MA DL JP and stands in a park of 150 acres.

The manorial rights, which belonged to the Crown were sold in 1859.

The principal landowners are George Charles Uppleby esq MA DL JP, Mrs Maw, Tombleson’s trustees and the Corbett estates.

The soil is partly loam, chalk and clay, subsoil, principally chalk.

The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and turnips.

The area is 4,755 acres, including New Holland: the population in 1881 was 2,711, including New Holland.

Parish clerk, Joseph Bentley; deputy, John Stainton

Post & MO & TO, S R Annuity & Insurance Office, James Metham, postmaster. Letters are received from Hull & arrive at 6.50am & 6.30pm; dispatched at 4.30pm. Money order department open from 9am to 6pm. Telegraph office open from 8am to 8pm.

Post Office, Barrow Haven, Robert Brown, receiver. Letters received from Hull 6.45am; dispatched at 5pm. The nearest money order office is at New Holland, 2½
miles distant.

Public offices:
Clerk to the Burial Board, George Harper Cherry
Collector of Rates, William Stoker
Medical Office& Public Vaccinator, Barrow District, Glanford Brigg Union, Thomas Baron

Schools:
National (mixed), erected in 1864, for 200 children: average attendance 150; Thomas R Hewson, master
Infants’ (mixed), erected in 1843 for 100 children, average attendance 51; Miss Mary Somerscales, mistress

Manchester, Sheffield & Lincoln Railway Station, Barrow Have, Joseph Sissons, station master

Carriers:
James Needham and Charles Hewitt, to Barton, on mon; to Hull, on tues & fri; to Brigg, on thurs; & omnibus to & from New Holland at 8am daily, tues & fri at 9.30am & 3pm

Water Conveyances
Ferry boats to Hull & back, tues & fri: William Stamp, owner

Private Residents

Mrs Barrick
John William Beeton
Charles Bennett
James Brankley
Mrs Brown
Henry Coulbeck
Herbert Freeman
Mrs Good
Mrs Holgate
Misses Jones
Mrs Kirkby
Henry Kitchen
John Lawton
Henry Ogle
Frederick Philpot
George Robinson
Mrs Robinson
Rev John Edward Sampson [vicar]
Evington Clarkson Schofield
Mrs Shaw
Joseph Hiram Shearwood
George Charles Uppleby MA DL J, Barrow Hall
George Towle
Thomas Westoby

Commercial
Joseph Adlard & Co     grocers and drapers
Abraham Allison     farmer
Alfred Allison     wheelwright
George Allison     miller (wind)
Thos Baron MRCS     surgeon, medical officer of held & public vaccinator, Barrow and Ulceby districts, Glanford Brigg union
Vincent Barrick     butcher
Wm Barrick     willow mer & basket ma
Barrow-on-Humber Gas Co Ltd, George Harper Cherry, managr & sec
William Batson     plumber &c
Thomas Beedham     farmer
Jn Wm Beeton     willow mer & basket ma
George Bell     coal dealer & farmer
John Bellamy     farmer, Barrow Marsh
Thomas Bennett     farmer
J Bentley & Co     oil merchants
Joseph Bentley     sheep dip manufr, horticultural manures & other        specialities
John Bilton     bricklayer
Thomas Bilton     bricklayer
Samuel Bilton     bricklayer
William Blair     farmer
David Pickard Bramham     boot and shoe ma
Miles Bramley     grocer
George Brown     tailor and shopkeeper
James Brown     grocer
John Brown     Haven Inn, Barrow Haven
Samuel Brown     corn merchant
William Brown     farmer
Susan & Sarah Ann Brownlow     ladies’school
George Burton      wheelwright
Robert Bygott     miller (wind & steam)
John Camm     carpenter
Joseph Camm     farmer
Joseph Hiram Camm     butcher
Mrs Annie Candy     shopkeeper
Cemetery     George Harper Cherry, clerk to the burial board
Geo Harper Cherry     grocer & draper
Thomas Clark     coal dealer
James R Clarke     painter
Joseph Clayton     farmer, Park Farm
William Cocking     shopkeeper
Thomas Codd     farmer
Henry & Charles Collingwood     brick & tile makers, Barrow Haven
William Cook     brick & tile manufacturer, Barrow Haven
Bryan Cooper     saddler & harness ma
William Crowder     rope manufacturer
Robert Dannatt     farmer, Barrow Haven
George Dawson     farmer
Joel Dee     farmer
William Donner     willow merchant
William Drake     grocer
Benj Ducker     brick & tile ma, Barrow Haven
George Ducker     brick & tile maker, Barrow Haven
William Ebbatson     plumber
John Edwards     tailor
Thomas Foster     boot maker
Thomas Gilder     blacksmith
Joseph Glentworth     farmer
William Gooseman     farmer
Thomas & Henry Grimbleby     brick & tile manufacturers, Barrow Haven
Atkinson Hall     tailor
William Hamilton     shopkeeper
Edward Hardy     farmer
Charles Hewitt     shopkeeper & carrier
George E Hewitt     shoe mkr & shopkpr
Hiram Hill     millwright
William Hutton     farmer
Joseph Jackson     Red Lion PH
Mrs Aaron Johnson     tin wrkr & brazr
William Burman Jones     farmer
Mrs Mary Ann King     miller (wind), Barrow Haven
Jas Metham     drapr & grocr & post off
Thomas Newell     farmer
Thomas Newham     farmer
William R Nicholson     farmer
Henry Ogle      farmer
William Ogle     farmer, Barrow Haven
Frederick Oglesby     Six Bells PH
Henry Parkin     boot & shoe maker
Frederick Philpott LFPS Glas     surgeon
John Pinning     grocer
James Pocklington     grocer
George Richardson     farmer
Henry Richardson     blacksmith
John Rigg     miller (wind)
John Robinson     farmer
George Robinson     brick & tile maker, Barrow Haven
George Rusling     flour dealer
William Geo Schofield     corn merchant
Miss Anne Sergeant     farmer
George Sergeant     butcher
Joseph Hiram Shearwood     surgeon
George Shearwood     farmer
John Richardson Simon     Royal Oak PH
Jsph Sissons     station master, Barrow Haven
Mrs Arabella Smith     farmer
Rt Leonard Smith     farmer & maltster
John Sowden     saddler
John Stainton     market gardener
Frederick Steele     watch maker
William Stoker     rate collector
John Storr     butcher
John Hackney Thompson     wheelwright
James Tombleson     brick & tile maker, Barrow Haven
James Tricker     brick & tile maker, Barrow Haven
Turner & Co     brick & tile manufacturers, Barrow Haven
Joseph Utting     farmer
Geo West     brick & tile ma, Barrow Haven
Geo Edward West     boot & shoe maker
George Westoby      farmer
John Westoby     farmer
William Westoby     farmer
Woodhouse & Co     brick & tile makers, Barrow Haven

Source: Kelly’s Directory 1889