The London Borough of Islington was formed in 1965 from the boroughs of Islington and Finsbury, with stories from Clerkenwell, Canonbury, Highbury and Holloway. Its history includes the Saxon name Giseldone, the Great North Road, the New River (1604–1613), pleasure and tea gardens on Upper Street, the Royal Agricultural Hall, London's 'Little Italy' and the newspaper Iskra on Clerkenwell Green.
Oldest first
Newest first
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Anglo-Saxons and Vikings
410 – 1066
1005
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Giseldone
The Saxons named Islington Giseldone (1005), then Gislandune (1062). Later the name changed to Isledon, which was used well into the 1600s, when the modern form arose.
From the records: “Islington was originally named by the Saxons Giseldone (1005), then Gislandune (1062).”
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Middle Ages
1066 – 1485
1100
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Clerks' Well
The first surviving mention of the name Clerks' Well dates from 1100. Part of the well can still be seen, built into a 1980s building called Well Court.
From the records: “The first surviving reference to the name is from 1100.”
Mid-1100s
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St Paul's manor
From the mid-1100s the Manor of Finsbury was owned by St Paul's Cathedral. It provided a prebend, a payment of money or goods to support a churchman such as a canon.
From the records: “From mid-12th century the Manor of Finsbury was owned by St Paul's cathedral and managed as a Prebendary Manor to provide a prebend (a stipend of money or goods) to support an ecclesiastic person such as a canon, or an institution.”
1231
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Vinisbir
The Manor of Finsbury is first recorded as Vinisbir in 1231. The name means 'manor of a man called Finn'.
From the records: “The Manor of Finsbury is first recorded as Vinisbir (1231) and means "manor of a man called Finn".”
1253
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Land for the canons
On 15 June 1253 Ralph de Berners granted 'lands, rents and their appurtenances in Iseldone' to the Prior and Canons of St Bartholomew's in Smithfield, an Augustinian order.
From the records: “On 15 June 1253 Ralph de Berners made a grant of "lands, rents and their appurtenances in Iseldone" to the Prior and Canons of St Bartholomew's – an Augustinian order – in Smithfield.”
1307
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Holwey
By 1307 the name Holwey was used for the district around the road, in what is now Holloway.
From the records: “No documentary evidence can be found to support either derivation; and by 1307, the name Holwey was applied to the district around the road.”
1315
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Lord of Finsbury
From 1315 the Lord Mayor of London leased the manor of Finsbury. Since then the Mayors' formal title has been Mayor of London and Lord of Finsbury.
From the records: “The prebendary manor of Finsbury was, from 1315, leased by the Lord Mayor of London, so that after that the formal title of the Mayors has been Mayor of London and Lord of Finsbury.”
1300s
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The Great North Road
In the 1300s the Great North Road from the City of London's Aldersgate came into use, leading north to York and Edinburgh. In 1716 it came under the control of the newly formed Islington Turnpike Trust.
From the records: “In the 14th century, the Great North Road from the City of London's Aldersgate came into use, leading north to York and Edinburgh.”
1433
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Water for the priory
Records from 1433 and 1544 show Canonbury was a source of drinking water, piped by conduits to the priory.
From the records: “There are records from 1433 and 1544 of Canonbury serving as the source of drinking water piped by conduits to the priory.”
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Tudors and Stuarts
1485 – 1714
1543
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The King's Head
The King's Head Tavern, opposite the parish church, has been on the same site since 1543. Today it is a Victorian building with a theatre.
From the records: “The King's Head Tavern, now a Victorian building with a theatre, has remained on the same site, opposite the parish church, since 1543.”
1548
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A country village
In 1548 there were 440 communicants (people taking Communion) listed. Islington's rural atmosphere, with access to the City and Westminster, made it a popular home for the rich and eminent.
From the records: “In 1548, there were 440 communicants listed and the rural atmosphere, with access to the City and Westminster, made it a popular residence for the rich and eminent.”
1564
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The Peacock Inn
The Peacock Inn at 11 Islington High Street dates from 1564, though its front dates from 1857. The earliest reference to Islington High Street is on a map of 1590.
From the records: “The earliest reference to Islington High Street is its appearance on a 1590 map of the area.”
1604–1613
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The New River
The New River was built between 1604 and 1613, which created the New River Head in Clerkenwell, on what is now Rosebery Avenue. From the early 1600s the New River ran along the southern edge of Canonbury manor.
From the records: “The construction of the New River between 1604 and 1613 resulted in the creation of the New River Head in Clerkenwell, on what is now Rosebery Avenue.”
Late 1600s
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Building on the fields
Building on Finsbury Fields began in the late 1600s. In the 1600s Little and Lower Moorfields moved from the Manor of Finsbury into the City of London's Coleman Street Ward.
From the records: “In the 17th century, Little and Lower Moorfields, previously in the Manor of Finsbury and Parish of St Giles, was transferred to the Coleman Street Ward of the City of London (and also to the parish of St Stephen Coleman Street for religious purposes).”
1710
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A charity school
St Mary's Church of England Primary School was founded as a charity school in 1710. Since 1967 it has been on Fowler Road in Canonbury.
From the records: “Founded as a charity school in 1710, St Mary's Church of England Primary School has, since 1967, been situated on Fowler Road in Canonbury.”
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Georgians
1714 – 1837
1716
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Pleasure gardens
By 1716 there were 56 ale-house keepers in Upper Street. They also offered pleasure and tea gardens, and activities such as archery, skittle alleys and bowling. By the 1700s there was music and dancing too, with billiards, firework displays and balloon ascents.
From the records: “By 1716, there were 56 ale-house keepers in Upper Street, also offering pleasure and tea gardens, and activities such as archery, skittle alleys and bowling.”
1732–33
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St Luke's and City Road
St Luke's parish church was built in 1732–33. Building the City Road in 1765 sped up development, and at the end of the 1700s a suburb of homes was built around Finsbury Square.
From the records: “The parish church of St Luke's was built in 1732–33, development was accelerated by the building of the City Road in 1765, and at the end of the 18th century a residential suburb was built with its centre at Finsbury Square.”
1803
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Building Canonbury
Lord Northampton started developing land in Canonbury in 1803. Many of its streets are named after the Spencer Compton family and the Northampton estates.
From the records: “Lord Northampton started developing land in Canonbury in 1803, with many of the streets named after the Spencer Compton family and Northampton estates.”
1810–1850
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New River estate
From 1810 to 1850 the New River Company developed housing on the land around New River Head. Just to the west, the Lloyd Baker estate was laid out from 1820 to 1840.
From the records: “From 1810 to 1850, the New River Company developed housing on the land surrounding New River Head.”
1820
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London's water offices
In 1820 the New River Company moved its offices into an enlarged Water House at New River Head. The site stayed linked with running London's water supply for some 170 years: the Metropolitan Water Board's offices there, opened in 1920, were the headquarters for London's water until 1989.
From the records: “In 1820, the New River Company, owners of the river, moved its offices into an enlarged Water House, beginning an association of the site with the administration of London's water supply that was to last some 170 years.”
1830
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Horse-drawn omnibuses
The 1800s saw Islington's greatest growth in housing, soon covering the whole parish. In 1801 it had 10,212 people; by 1891 it had 319,143. This was partly because horse-drawn omnibuses were introduced in 1830.
From the records: “Some early development took place to accommodate the popularity of the nearby Sadler's Wells, which became a resort in the 16th century, but the 19th century saw the greatest expansion in housing, soon to cover the whole parish.”
1832
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Finsbury in Parliament
The parliamentary borough of Finsbury was created in 1832 to represent the area in Parliament. In 1857 Finsbury Park was opened, some three miles north, for the residents of this borough to enjoy.
From the records: “In 1832 the parliamentary borough of Finsbury was created to represent the area in parliament.”
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Victorians
1837 – 1901
1837
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Literary and Scientific Institution
The Islington Literary and Scientific Society was founded in 1833. In 1837 a building called the Literary and Scientific Institution went up in Wellington Street (later Almeida Street), in a stuccoed Grecian style. It had a library, reading room, museum, laboratory and a lecture theatre seating 500.
From the records: “The Islington Literary and Scientific Society was established in 1833 and first met in Mr.”
1837–1839
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Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens used Islington in Oliver Twist (1837–1839): Mr Brownlow's house is in Pentonville, and several scenes take place in and around Islington.
From the records: “Islington locations appear in many novels and other writings by Charles Dickens, including: Oliver Twist (1837–1839): Mr Brownlow's house is in Pentonville, and several scenes take place in and around Islington.”
1850s
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Little Italy
In the 1850s the south-western part of Clerkenwell and nearby Saffron Hill became known as London's 'Little Italy', because around 2,000 Italians had settled there. Most of the community had moved away by the 1960s, but the area is still the 'spiritual home' of London's Italians, largely because of St Peter's Italian Church.
From the records: “In the 1850s the south-western part of Clerkenwell and Saffron Hill in the nearby borough of Holborn became known as London's "Little Italy" because around 2,000 Italians had settled in the area.”
Mid-1800s
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Railway clearances
From the middle of the 1800s, poor people were being displaced by clearances in inner London to build new railway stations and goods yards.
From the records: “However, from the middle of the 19th century the poor were being displaced by clearances in inner London to build the new railway stations and goods yards.”
1856
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Metropolitan Board of Works
From 1856 the area was governed by the Metropolitan Board of Works, which provided services across London. In 1889 its area became the County of London.
From the records: “From 1856 the area was governed by the Metropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London.”
1862
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Royal Agricultural Hall
The Royal Agricultural Hall was built in 1862 on Liverpool Road, on the site of William Dixon's Cattle Layers. It was London's main exhibition site until the 20th century and the largest building of its kind, holding up to 50,000 people.
From the records: “The Royal Agricultural Hall was built in 1862 on the Liverpool Road site of William Dixon's Cattle Layers.”
1890
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Wellington Castle barracks
The Salvation Army bought the old Literary and Scientific Institution building in 1890, renamed it the Wellington Castle barracks, and stayed there until 1955.
From the records: “A building, the Literary and Scientific Institution, was erected in 1837 in Wellington (later Almeida) Street, designed by Roumieu and Gough in a stuccoed Grecian style.”
1900
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Islington and Finsbury
In 1900 London's local councils were reorganised into metropolitan boroughs, two of them called Islington and Finsbury. Finsbury covered Clerkenwell, St Luke and St Sepulchre, plus Charterhouse and Glasshouse Yard. Clerkenwell Town Hall, built on Rosebery Avenue in 1895, became Finsbury Town Hall.
From the records: “In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs, two of which were called Islington and Finsbury, the latter covering the combined area of the parishes of Clerkenwell, St Luke and St Sepulchre, and the extra-parochial areas of Charterhouse and Glasshouse Yard.”
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The World Wars
1901 – 1945
1902
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Iskra on Clerkenwell Green
Clerkenwell Green has been associated with radicalism, from the Lollards to the Chartists. In 1902 Vladimir Lenin moved the publication of the newspaper Iskra (Spark) to 37a Clerkenwell Green, where issues 22 to 38 were edited. In 1903 it moved to Geneva. It is said that Lenin and a young Joseph Stalin met in the Crown and Anchor pub (now The Crown Tavern) in 1903.
From the records: “Clerkenwell Green has been associated with radicalism, from the Lollards in the 16th century, the Chartists in the 19th century and communists in the early 20th century.”
1915
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The Islington Pals
In 1915 each London mayor was asked to raise a unit of local men. The 'Islington Pals' served on the Western Front from 1916 to 1918, seeing action against the Hindenburg Line and at Bourlon Wood. After heavy losses in the spring of 1918, the battalion went back to England and never returned to the Western Front.
From the records: “In February 1915 Kitchener approached the 28 Metropolitan Borough Councils in the County of London, and the 'Great Metropolitan Recruiting Campaign' went ahead in April, with each mayor asked to raise a unit of local men.”
1920s
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St Joan of Arc's church
In the 1920s Catholics in Highbury needed a place to worship, so St Joan of Arc's church was commissioned on Kelross Road. It is thought to be the first church dedicated to her; she was made a saint in 1920. A new St Joan of Arc church opened on Highbury Park on 23 September 1962.
From the records: “A need for a place for Catholic residents of Highbury to worship in the 1920s led to the commissioning of St Joan of Arc's church, thought to be the first dedicated to the saint canonised in 1920, on a site on Kelross Road where the church hall is now located.”
1928
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Writers in Canonbury Square
Two writers lived in Canonbury Square: Evelyn Waugh at 17a from 1928 to 1930, and George Orwell at 27b from the autumn of 1944. Orwell and his wife moved there after they were bombed out of their previous flat, in Mortimer Crescent, on 28 June 1944.
From the records: “George Orwell moved to 27b Canonbury Square in the autumn of 1944 – he and his wife having been bombed out of their previous flat, in Mortimer Crescent, on 28 June 1944.”
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Modern times
Since 1945
1960s
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Georgian terraces rediscovered
From the 1960s, middle-class families rediscovered Islington's remaining Georgian terraces. The Islington Society was founded in 1960 to safeguard and improve the quality of life in Islington.
From the records: “From the 1960s, the remaining Georgian terraces were rediscovered by middle-class families.”
1965
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A new borough
The London Borough of Islington was formed in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, joining the metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury.
From the records: “It was formed in 1965, under the London Government Act 1963, by the amalgamation of the metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury.”
1976
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The Marquess Estate
The Marquess Estate, a council estate of 1,200 homes designed by Darbourne & Darke, was completed in 1976 in the east of Canonbury.
From the records: “In the east is the Marquess Estate, a 1,200 dwelling council estate, completed in 1976 on 26 acres (110,000 m2), and designed by Darbourne & Darke.”
1978
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A theatre campaign
In 1978 a campaign began to redevelop the old Literary and Scientific Institution building as a theatre. A public appeal followed in 1981, and in 1982 a festival of avant-garde theatre and music was held there and at other Islington venues.
From the records: “A building, the Literary and Scientific Institution, was erected in 1837 in Wellington (later Almeida) Street, designed by Roumieu and Gough in a stuccoed Grecian style.”
1998
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About a Boy
Nick Hornby's novels About a Boy (1998) and Slam (2007) are set in Islington.
From the records: “Nick Hornby's novels About a Boy (1998) and Slam (2007) are set in Islington.”
2008
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Newspapers on Farringdon Road
Clerkenwell's tradition of left-leaning publishing went on until late 2008, with The Guardian and The Observer having their headquarters on Farringdon Road, a short walk from Clerkenwell Green.
From the records: “Clerkenwell's tradition of left-leaning publication continued until late 2008 with The Guardian and The Observer having their headquarters on Farringdon Road, a short walk from the Green.”