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

Dr Arthur Farre

Dr Arthur Farre

Eminent obstetrician and physician extraordinary to Queen Victoria.  Born Charterhouse Square.  As a friend of Baron Rothschild and obstetrician to his wife, helped him set up the Evelina Children'...

Person, Children, Gender Issues, Medicine

1 memorial
Sarah Parker Remond

Sarah Parker Remond

African American abolitionist, lecturer, suffragist, polyglot, UCL & Bedford College graduate.  Sarah Parker Remond was an American lecturer, activist and abolitionist campaigner. Born a free ...

Person, Education, Gender Issues, Race Issues, Italy, USA

1 memorial
Mary Harris Smith

Mary Harris Smith

Accountant. Born in Kingsland, the area around where Dalston Junction station now is. She became interested in accounting by helping her father who was a banker. In 1887 she set up her own accounti...

Person, Gender Issues, Other

1 memorial
Ada Nield Chew

Ada Nield Chew

Working-class, factory worker, promoter of women’s trade unions. Born on a farm in North Staffordshire as Ada Nield. 1897 married George Chew ​(d.1940) who was also an organiser​ with the Independe...

Person, Gender Issues

1 memorial
Frederick Park

Frederick Park

Park and Ernest Boulton were 'Fanny and Stella', the celebrated Victorian cross-dressers. Little is available about Park but see Boulton for their joint activities.

Person, Gender Issues, Theatre

1 memorial