Event    From 2/7/1888  To 16/7/1888

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.

Diamond Geezer has a much fuller account.

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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

Edith S. Kerrison

Edith S. Kerrison

The first woman to serve on the West Ham council and an advocate of welfare for women and children. Was offered the Mayoralty but in view of her advancing years and increasing deafness she declined...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Amy Garvey

Amy Garvey

Campaigner for gender and social justice. Born in Jamaica.  1914 met Garvey, joined the Universal Negro Improvement Association and became a Pan-Africanist campaigner.  Moved to the US in 1918 wher...

Person, Gender Issues, Race Issues, Social Welfare, Jamaica, USA

1 memorial
Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan

Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan

Prominent botanist and mycologist (fungi). Leader of the first women's army corps. Dame Helen Charlotte Isabella Gwynne-Vaughan, GBE   During WW1 she served in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and...

Person, Armed Forces, Gender Issues, Science

1 memorial
Priss Fotheringham

Priss Fotheringham

Some details of Priss's sorry life are given at HistoryWeird: Born in Scotland, she was in London by 1656 and had married Edmund Fotheringham.  "In the late 1650s Priss took up residence in a taver...

Person, Gender Issues, Scotland

1 memorial
University of Ulster Trans-Gender Archive

University of Ulster Trans-Gender Archive

Founded by Richard Ekins at the University of Ulster. The Archive ceased its connection with the University of Ulster in July 2010, when Richard Ekins became Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Cul...

Group, Gender Issues, Museums / Libraries

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Karl Marx - W1

Karl Marx - W1

W1, Dean Street, 28

The building has been the home of Quo Vadis, an old and venerable Italian restaurant for many years.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator