Barren Island was a small place with seven families in the Placentia district. The earliest post office was at Little Placentia in 1864. The nearest telegraph station was at South Island where the Reid-Newfoundland Steamers called weekly, in 1911. The first Waymaster was Eliza Shea in 1886. The island had a population of 220 in 1911.
The name has been shown as Baron's and also Baron Island in 1889 and Bar Haven in 1912.