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

Chrystal MacMillan

Chrystal MacMillan

Liberal politician, barrister, and NUWSS, and internationalist. Jessie Chrystal Macmillan was a suffragist, peace activist, barrister, feminist and the first female science graduate from the Unive...

Person, Gender Issues, Law, Peace, Politics & Administration, Scotland

1 memorial
Emily Davies

Emily Davies

Suffragist and promoter of higher education for women. Born Sarah Emily Davies in Southampton. She edited a feminist publication and became active on the London School Board. She was instrumental i...

Person, Education, Gender Issues

1 memorial
Teresa Billington-Greig

Teresa Billington-Greig

School teacher and one of the first paid members of the Women's Social and Political Union. She left  the WSPU - as she considered the leadership too autocratic, and helped create the Women's Freed...

Person, Gender Issues

1 memorial
Rose Mary Crawshay

Rose Mary Crawshay

Philanthropist, feminist, educationist. Born Rose Mary Yeates in Horton, Buckinghamshire, to William Willson Yeates and his first wife Mary. When she was seven three of her baby sisters died in qui...

Person, Education, Gender Issues, Philanthropy

1 memorial
Charlotte Despard

Charlotte Despard

Anglo-Irish suffragist, socialist, pacifist, Sinn Féin activist, and novelist. She was a founding member of the Women's Freedom League, Women's Peace Crusade, and the Irish Women's Franchise League...

Person, Gender Issues, Ireland, Scotland

2 memorials

Previously viewed

The Queen's Chapel

The Queen's Chapel

SW1, Marlborough Road, St James's Palace

The plaque is the one on the right.

8 subjects commemorated
Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I

Daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Born Greenwich Palace.  Succeeded her half-sister Queen Mary I. Reigned: 1553 - 1603.   Never married, no children, so followed by James I. Elizabeth I...

Person, Race Issues, Royalty, Seriously Famous

26 memorials
Battle of Britain - London monument

Battle of Britain - London monument

SW1, Victoria Embankment

BBM says "the names and ranks of the airmen who took part in the battle are {on plaques} mounted around the outside of the monument, the ...

1 subject commemorated, 5 creators
Southwark Council

Southwark Council

The London Borough of Southwark was created as an amalgamation of the Metropolitan Boroughs of Southwark, Camberwell and Bermondsey. Southwark council annually invites proposals for new plaques fro...

Group, Politics & Administration

91 memorials
St Barnabas' church, West Silvertown

St Barnabas' church, West Silvertown

This National Library of Scotland 1914 map shows the "Missn Ch" between Eastwood and Westwood Road, just north of the tennis courts on what is now Britannia Village Green. Opened in 1882 as a miss...

Building, Religion

1 memorial