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Event    From 2/7/1888  To 16/7/1888

Matchgirls' strike

Matchgirls' strike

A strike of the women and teenage girls working at the Bryant and May Factory. Annie Besant had published an article about the poor working conditions at the factory, 'White Slavery in London'. This angered the management who tried to get the workers to formally refute the article. When they refused the management sacked one of them and the strike was on. They held meetings at Christ Church Hall and were supported by Eleanor Marx, Annie Besant and members of the Fabian Society including Shaw and Sidney Webb. Charles Bradlaugh spoke in Parliament supporting the strike.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Matchgirls' strike

Commemorated ati

Annie Besant - E3

This plaque was lost sometime July 2021 - August 2022. 

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Bowler plaque - Match Girls

The plaque punningly represents "match girls" - very nice. Hanbury Hall is wh...

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Fairfield Works

Fairfield Works Fairfield Road. The scene of the match girls strike of 1888. ...

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Hanbury Hall - blue oval plaque

This plaque has a shortened version of the text on the old white plaque.

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Hanbury Hall - white plaque - removed

Christ Church Hall Built in 1719 as a French Hugeonot {sic} church it stood b...

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Other Subjects

Dr Annie McCall

Dr Annie McCall

One of the first women to qualify as a doctor, in 1885. Born Manchester. She studied abroad and in London. Once qualified she quickly started a clinic and school of midwifery in her own home at 165...

Person, Gender Issues, Medicine

1 memorial
Moncure Daniel Conway

Moncure Daniel Conway

Born Stafford County, Virginia, USA. Social reformer and ethical preacher. He abandoned his Methodist ministry because of what he saw as its repression of free thought and became a Unitarian. He ca...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Social Welfare, France, USA

3 memorials
Ernest Boulton

Ernest Boulton

Boulton and Frederick Park were 'Stella & Fanny', the celebrated Victorian cross-dressers. Born at Kings Road, Tottenham.  Boulton's cross-dressing began very early and his parents seem to hav...

Person, Gender Issues, Theatre

1 memorial
Phillis Wheatley

Phillis Wheatley

American writer who was the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Her name can also be given as Phillis Wheatley Peters or Phyllis or Wheatly. Born in West Africa, she was s...

Person, Gender Issues, Poetry, Race Issues, Africa, USA

1 memorial
Edith Garrud

Edith Garrud

Suffragette and martial arts instructor. Born Edith Margaret Williams in Bath. She married William Garrud, a physical culture instructor and in 1899 they were introduced to the art of jiu-jitsu. In...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration, Sport / Games

2 memorials