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

Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington

Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington

Irish nationalist and suffragist. Founder of the Irish Women’s Franchise League. Along with her husband Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, Margaret Cousins and James Cousins, she founded the Irish Women'...

Person, Gender Issues, Ireland

1 memorial
Mary Macarthur

Mary Macarthur

Suffragist and trades unionist. Born Mary Reid Macarthur in Glasgow. She was the general secretary of the Women's Trade Union League and was involved in the formation of the National Federation of ...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration, Scotland

2 memorials
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
Peter Tatchell

Peter Tatchell

Campaigner for human rights, gay freedom and social justice. Co-founder of Outrage!. Born Australia and began his campaigning there. To avoid conscription he moved to London in 1971 and here began ...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration, Australia

1 memorial
Bedford College for Women, University of London

Bedford College for Women, University of London

Founded by Elizabeth Jesser Reid as the Ladies College, the first higher education college for women.  In 1900 it became part of the University of London and in 1913 moved to larger purpose built p...

Group, Education, Gender Issues

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