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.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

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. 

Read More

Bowler plaque - Match Girls

The plaque punningly represents "match girls" - very nice. Hanbury Hall is wh...

Read More

Fairfield Works

Fairfield Works Fairfield Road. The scene of the match girls strike of 1888. ...

Read More

Hanbury Hall - blue oval plaque

This plaque has a shortened version of the text on the old white plaque.

Read More

Hanbury Hall - white plaque - removed

Christ Church Hall Built in 1719 as a French Hugeonot {sic} church it stood b...

Read More

Other Subjects

Suffragettes

Suffragettes

The wonderful Spitalfields Life published a map on the East End Suffragette activities.  And London Historians has a post 'Parliament and Votes for Women'.

Group, Gender Issues

4 memorials
Edith How-Martyn

Edith How-Martyn

Suffragist and birth control campaigner. Born Edith How in London. 1899 married George Herbert Martyn. Member of the Women's Social and Political Union. She was arrested in 1906 for attempting to ...

Person, Gender Issues, Social Welfare, Australia, India

1 memorial
Sarah Reddish

Sarah Reddish

Sarah Reddish was a Bolton-based trade unionist and suffragette, who was active in the cooperative movement. A supporter of women running for local elections as a springboard to gaining national vo...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Eva Hubback

Eva Hubback

Feminist and suffragette. Born Eva Marian Spielman. In 1911 she married Francis Hubback, who was killed in WW1, leaving her with three children. 1916 - 17 director of economic studies at Newnham an...

Person, Education, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
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

Previously viewed

Sports Heritage

Sports Heritage

It became part of what is now the Heritage Foundation.

Group, Sport / Games

3 memorials