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

Frederick Pethick-Lawrence

Frederick Pethick-Lawrence

Husband of Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence. Born London. Campaigned with his wife Emmeline for votes for women. Died at the Manor House Hospital, London.

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration

3 memorials
Charlotte Despard

Charlotte Despard

Anglo-Irish suffragist, socialist, pacifist, Sinn Féin activist, and novelist. She was a founding member of the Women's Freedom League, Women's Peace Crusade, and the Irish Women's Franchise League...

Person, Gender Issues, Ireland, Scotland

2 memorials
Rose Mary Crawshay

Rose Mary Crawshay

Philanthropist, feminist, educationist. Born Rose Mary Yeates in Horton, Buckinghamshire, to William Willson Yeates and his first wife Mary. When she was seven three of her baby sisters died in qui...

Person, Education, Gender Issues, Philanthropy

1 memorial
Eva Gore-Booth

Eva Gore-Booth

Poet and dramatist, and a committed suffragist, social worker and labour activist. Born as Eva Selina Laura Gore-Booth in County Sligo, the younger sister of Constance Gore-Booth, who was later kn...

Person, Gender Issues, Poetry, Ireland

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