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

Woodford Green Men's Club

Woodford Green Men's Club

Either the club or its Harrier section was established in 1904.  Its origins are back in the 1880s when it was part of the sports section of the Woodford Green Working Mens' Institute.  More inform...

Group, Community / Clubs, Gender Issues

1 memorial
Ray Strachey

Ray Strachey

Feminist, Liberal politician, mathematician, engineer, artist and writer. NUWSS, unsuccessfully stood for Parliament. Born as Rachel Pearsall Conn Costelloe. 1911 she married civil servant Oliver ...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Ellen Wilkinson

Ellen Wilkinson

NUWSS in Manchester, Labour MP for Jarrow. As Jarrow MP she played a prominent role in the 1936 Jarrow March. Minister of Education from July 1945 until her death. Born Manchester. Had a close per...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Blue Plaque Rebellion

Blue Plaque Rebellion

Writing her book 'Eat Sweat Play: How Sport Can Change Our Lives' Anna Kessel, was shocked at the lack of recognition for sportswomen from the past. Hence the Blue Plaque Rebellion, set up with the...

Group, Gender Issues, Sport / Games

1 memorial
Esther Roper

Esther Roper

Esther Roper was an English suffragist and social justice campaigner who fought for equal employment and voting rights for working-class women. Lifelong partner of Eva Gore-Booth. The photo shows ...

Person, Gender Issues

1 memorial