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.

Diamond Geezer has a much fuller account.

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

This plaque was lost sometime July 2021 - August 2022.

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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

Brixton Black Women's Group

Brixton Black Women's Group

Started by Olive Morris and other women who had been active in the Black Panther Movement. It was formed to address the specific issues faced by black women, and to offer advice and support to thos...

Group, Community / Clubs, Gender Issues, Race Issues

2 memorials
Lilian Faithfull

Lilian Faithfull

English teacher, headmistress, women's rights advocate, magistrate, social worker and humanitarian. Born Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, she graduated with a first in English at Oxford University in 188...

Person, Education, Gender Issues, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Moncure Daniel Conway

Moncure Daniel Conway

Born Stafford County, Virginia, USA. Social reformer and ethical preacher. He abandoned his Methodist ministry because of what he saw as its repression of free thought and became a Unitarian. He ca...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Social Welfare, France, USA

3 memorials
Adela Pankhurst

Adela Pankhurst

Adela Constantia Mary Pankhurst Walsh was a British-Australian suffragette, political organiser, campaigner for peace and co-founder of both the Communist Party of Australia and the Australia First...

Person, Gender Issues, Peace, Australia

1 memorial
Mark Ashton

Mark Ashton

Irish political, community and gay rights activist. Born Oldham but grew up in Northern Ireland. With his friend Mike Jackson he formed and raised funds for the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners...

Person, Community / Clubs, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration, Social Welfare, Ireland

1 memorial