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.

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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

Women's Freedom League

Women's Freedom League

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1 memorial
Sexual Avengers

Sexual Avengers

An activist gay network for resistance through direct action, solidarity & community building.

Group, Community / Clubs, Gender Issues

1 memorial
Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners

Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners

Formed in 1984 by Mark Ashton and his friend Mike Jackson, this group was only wound down in 2015. The London group used the bookshop Gay's the Word as their HQ. The largest fund-raising event was ...

Group, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Winchester geese

Winchester geese

In medieval London the Bishop of Winchester (e.g. William of Wykeham) had a Palace on the section of the south bank of the Thames nearest here. It included what is now Southwark Cathedral and the b...

Group, Gender Issues

1 memorial
Isabella Ford

Isabella Ford

Isabella Ormston Ford was a social reformer, suffragist and writer. She became a public speaker and wrote pamphlets on issues related to socialism, feminism and worker's rights. After becoming conc...

Person, Gender Issues

1 memorial

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East India Company

East India Company

Formed as a trading company but went on to effectively rule India, on behalf of the British. Was involved in the slave trade.

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5 memorials