Barbara Gilligan was born in London, married to the artist David Carr.
Studied at the Cedric Morris' East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing and at Slade School of Fine Art in 1934-35. Showed at Cooling Galleries, in Sladey Ladeis at Parkin Gallery in 1986, at Galerie Salamanda Paris in 1987 and elsewhere abroad. Had a solo show at Leicester Galleries in 1948. An example of her work is in the Collection of Original Works for Children in Cambridgeshire.