In the first century AD the Romans established London (known as Londinium) on the north bank of the river Thames. It became a walled city of about one square mile in the second century but was burned and plundered many times following that. At the turn of the 11th century it was considered to be the main city of England and by the 15th century many other towns and villages had sprung up around it. The outlying villages north of the River Thames included Westminster, The Inns of the Temple (the law courts), and Whitechapel. Villages south of the Thames grew such as Southwark, Bermondsey, and Greenwich. However, "the City" was still only one square mile. Expansion along the Thames continued, spurred by the commerce on the river. Gentlemen and royalty built fine houses to the west of London, and the shipbuilding areas and ports developed to the east, where the poor, the workers, and the tradesmen lived. Explosive growth began in the19th century at the beginning of which London had a population of over 1 million people. By the middle of the 19th century London stretched into the counties of Essex, Middlesex, Kent, and Surrey and had a population of more than 2.3 million, but it was still controlled by individual town and parish by-laws or acts of Parliament. It was not until 1855 that the Metropolitan Board of Works was established to control all public works in what is now known as "Metropolitan London". The London County Council (the LCC), formed by an act of Parliament in 1888 replaced the Board. Thus the County of London, an area of 117 square miles with a population of 4 million, took control of Metropolitan London and changed county lines. This can be easily seen if you are searching for Birth, Marriage or Death certificates. For instance, certificates from 1881 for Stepney, MileEnd, and Poplar- were all in the county of Middlesex - but by 1900, certificates for the same locations show them to be in the County of London. By 1901 London had a population of 6.5 million and by 1939 8.5 million. In 1917 the London Post Office assigned London postal codes and London postal addresses to the County of London and the surrounding area. In 1965 the Greater London Council replaced the LCC and its jurisdiction was expanded to an area which exceeded 600 square miles, encompassing most of Middlesex and parts of other surrounding counties. The original City of London still remains, governed by a corporation, with its own Lord Mayor and covering its one square mile in the centre of Greater London.

Hackney and Tower Hamlets were part of Middlesex until 1889 when they were absorbed into the county of London. The old parishes of Hackney and Tower Hamlets were known as the East End of London. The East End slowly spread to West Ham in the1800s because of the docks. By about 1860 West Ham had become a County Borough with its own council and members of parliament. In 1960 parliament recognised the reality (which the Post Office had recognised some years before) and formed the Greater London Council which encompassed all of greater London and eliminated Middlesex.

Hackney is now a London Borough east of central London comprises the following towns or areas:

Clapton, Dalston, Hackney, Haggerston, Homerton, Hoxton, Kingsland, Shoreditch & Stoke Newington.

Tower Hamlets is also a London Borough east of central London and includes the following towns or areas:

Aldgate, Artillery Liberty, Bethnal Green, Bishopsgate, Bow, Bromley by Bow, Bromley St. Leonard, St. George in the East, Isle of Dogs, Limehouse, Mile End, Millwall, Norton Folgate, Poplar, Ratcliff, Shadwell, Spitalfields, Stepney, Stratford le Bow, Tower Liberty, Wapping & Whitechapel.

William Barnwell (snr) was born a Catholic in 1786 probably in Co. Dublin, Ireland. He may have moved to England to build a new life or to escape religious persecution. At an early age he became a wood tuner and carpenter eventually to become a Wood Turner Master and was probably a member of "The Worshipful Company of Turners". Records of these can be found at the Guildhall, London. The Guildhall was near to his business at 10 Bridgewater Gardens, Barbican, London (see 1846 Commercial Directory, London and earlier). John Milton: Poet, Priest and Prophet, was born in Barbican, London; as was Wesley, Henry Moore lived at nearby 59, Aldersgate street or at the New Chappel near Moorfields.

William Barnwell (snr) married Susannah Core (or Corr) on 21st February 1807 at St Botolph’s Bishopgate, London. This church is located near Liverpool Street Station and was damaged by an IRA bomb planted at the nearby Nat West Tower.

They had 8 children Children: William (1810), John (1812), Elizabeth (1815), George (1817), Susannah 1820, Ann (1824, who may have died in 1855 and buried at Abney Park Cemetery), Sarah (1824) - twins?, Sophia Ann (1831). All were christened at St Mary Whitechapel, which was situated along the High Street, Whitechapel. This church was also known as St. Mary Matfellon (dedicated to Mary the Mother - Matfellon Villa beatæ Mariæ de Matfellon). It had a long history having been founded in the thirteenth century; the chapel had been conspicuous for its whitewash covering -- and thus the name 'Whitechapel'. It was badly damaged by Hitler's German bombs and then to seal its fate it was subsequently struck by lightning. St. Mary's was pulled down after the 2nd World War and its site is now a public garden in which several gravestones still stand. One can still see the perimeter lines where the building stood and a portion of the church facade has been left to mark the entrance to the green as the former site of the church. The local Labour Council has renamed it as Al Bar Alley to reflect the current population.

Having established, with his sons, a number of businesses around the City of London they must have prospered. Barnwell & Rayner (CabinetMakers) were located at 1, Golden Lion Court, Aldersgate Street, London (see 1846 Commercial Directory, London and earlier editions). His first son William (born 1810) is shown in the 1846 London PO (Commercial) Directory as a turner at 10 Bridgewater Gardens, Barbican. Also his third son George Barnwell (born 1817) is also shown in the 1846 Commercial Directory and the 1847 London PO Directory as a CabinetMaker at 1 Golden Lion Court, Aldersgate Street.

John Barnwell (second son of William Barnwell (snr) and Susannah Core or Corr) was my great- great- grandfather He also was a wood turner and was born in Shoreditch in the borough of Hackney, Middlesex in 1812 and was christened in St. Mary Whitechapel, on the 14th October 1812.

John Barnwell married Ann(a) or Anne Sophia White (born in 1814 in Hackney, Middlesex, daughter of Joseph White who was a Cooper and possibly worked at the nearby Whitbread Brewery) at the Hackney Parish Church in Hackney, Middlesex, 16th August 1840 and the ceremony was performed by the vicar Rev. T R Ratcliffe. Sophia lived at Well Street, Hackney and at the time of their marriage they lived at nearby Morning Lane (located off Mare Street).

John and Ann(a) Barnwell had 9 children:

Emma Ann (born St Leonard’s, Shoreditch, Middlesex 1841), Sarah Sophia (St Leonard’s, 1843), George John (St Leonard’s, 1844), Elizabeth Mary (Shoreditch, Middlesex 1846), William Isaac (Shoreditch, Middlesex 1848), Susannah (Shoreditch, Middlesex 1849), Joseph Henry (Southwark, Surrey 1850, who died the same year), Eliza Matilda (Southwark, Surrey 1853), Alice Louisa (Southwark, Surrey 1855)

They lived at 18 Wood Street, Old Street Road in the subdistrict of St Leonards, Shoreditch, Middlesex on the 22 October 1844.

On 1st July 1848 they lived at 27, Castle Street, Shoreditch, Middlesex (registration district of Shoreditch, sub-district: Holywell and Moorfields). It was here that his son William Isaac Barnwell was born on 1^st July 1848

Many of the Barnwell family moved from London, Hackney and Shoreditch area of Middlesex to Southwark, Surrey sometime during 1849 - 1850.

The 1877 London PO Directory shows William Barnwell: Woodturner, 85 Great Suffolk Street, Borough and the 1883 London PO Directory: John Barnwell: 95, Portland Street, Walworth . The business of Barnwell & Son at 85 Great Suffolk Street, Walworth is also shown in earlier editions

William Barnwell had a Turnery Manufacturer business at 56, Merrow St, Walworth

John Barnwell died on 30th December 1877 at 1a South Street, East Street, Walworth, at the age of 65 in the district of St Saviour, Walworth, Surrey.

His brother George Barnwell (born 1817) is shown in the 1851 census as living at 3, Fishmonger Alley, Southwark (St. Saviour), Surrey. He was running a lodging house with his wife (Loretta or Henrietta aged 37 in 1851) and is occupation was shown as a Lodging Housekeeper. Prior to this he worked with his father as a cabinetmaker and it is likely that he continued with this profession. They had a servant Margaret Keefe (born in Ireland); she was 25 years of age in 1851.

George John Barnwell (son of John and Anna Barnwell) was my great grandfather and was born at 18 Wood Street, Old Street Road in subdistrict of St Leonards, Shoreditch, Middlesex the 22 October 1844. He was christened in St John the Baptist, Shoreditch the 20 November 1844. His occupation was a woodturner (as was his father and his father before).

He married Harriet P Bellinie from Epsom, Surrey of Italian descent (daughter of William Bellinie, deceased before their marriage), the 10 October 1868 in the Parish Church Kennington, Surrey. At the time of marriage they lived at 17 William Street (Kennington, Lambeth)

In 1881 (and from 1881 census) they lived at No.1 Leeson Road, Lambeth, Surrey. There was also a family named BANHAM living at the same address. According to the 1881 census George John Barnwell was born in Finsbury, Middlesex.

They had 4 children:

1. George William Barnwell (my grandfather) was born in Poplar the 21st August 1869, and was christened in St Marks, Kennington, Surrey the 27th March 1870.
2. Julia Mary Barnwell, born in Surrey the 23 November 1870, married Walter Search, the 5 August 1895 (born in 1870).
3. Harriet Bellinie Barnwell, born in Surrey the 11 January 1874, married William Wastell, the 26 November 1905 (born in 1874).
4. William Robert Barnwell, born in Surrey the 21 January 1876.

George John Barnwell died of senile decay / ho pm? aged 80 years on the12th February 1925 at 48, Constance Road in the sub-district of East Dulwich (registration district of Camberwell, County of London). Up to the time of his death he lived at 61, Arlingford Road, Brixton. The informant of his death was his daughter and my grandfather's sister Julia Search (nee Barnwell). Julia, who was married to Walter Search, lived at 37, Glenelg Road, Brixton, London SW2, was also in attendance when her father died. Glenelg Road is next to Barnwell Road in Brixton.

 George William Barnwell

 George William Barnwell (my grandfather) a builder and master decorator was born in Poplar the 21st August 1869, and was christened in St Marks, Kennington, Surrey the 27th March 1870. He married firstly Laura Lyons, the 28th July 1894 in St. Matthews Church, Brixton, London (born in 1869 in Kentish Town, London and died the 17 November 1906 in 31, Railton Rd, Brixton, London, daughter of John Lyons). Secondly he married Annie Elizabeth Pritchard (my grandmother), the 25th December 1912 in Vassel Rd. Brixton, SW London, (born the 27 March 1885 in Camberwell, Surrey and died the 7 August 1973 in Camberwell, London, daughter of Henry Pritchard). George William Barnwell died in St Giles Hospital, Camberwell the 23 May 1958.