Introduction
Who were the match girls, where did they work and what were their complaints?
The match girls were a group of middle aged women who all worked at the Bryant & May handmade match factory in Bow, London, (mapped above). They came together in June 1888 when member, Clementina Black, shown in figure a gave a speech on Female Labour at a Society meeting.
Women in 1888 did not have the vote and employment rights were non-existent in the industrial hell that was the match factory.
Annie Besant (figure b), a member of the audience and a journalist was horrified when interviewing the match girls to discover that the women worked a minimum of fourteen hours a day, for a wage of less than five shillings a week ($8 Aus) due to the amount of fines. These fines included offences for talking, dropping matches or going to the toilet without permission. If the workers were late, they were fined half a day’s pay.
Besant also discovered that the health of the match girls was affected by the white and red phosphorus, used to make the matches. White phosphorus burns when in contact with air or heat. When in regular contact with the poisonous substance it causes yellowing of the skin, hair loss, bone cancer and often results in death.
Late June, Annie Besant wrote an article in her newspaper, the link. Shown in figure c. This The article drew attention to the dangers of phosphorus fumes and complained about the low wages paid to the women who worked at Bryant and May. The article written by Besant attracted the attention of The Bryant and May company who reacted by forcing their workers to sign a statement that they were happy with their jobs. Most women refused to agree and this was the day that 1400 match girls went on strike.
Annie didn't hesitate to use the most emotive language in order to bring support for them:
Women in 1888 did not have the vote and employment rights were non-existent in the industrial hell that was the match factory.
Annie Besant (figure b), a member of the audience and a journalist was horrified when interviewing the match girls to discover that the women worked a minimum of fourteen hours a day, for a wage of less than five shillings a week ($8 Aus) due to the amount of fines. These fines included offences for talking, dropping matches or going to the toilet without permission. If the workers were late, they were fined half a day’s pay.
Besant also discovered that the health of the match girls was affected by the white and red phosphorus, used to make the matches. White phosphorus burns when in contact with air or heat. When in regular contact with the poisonous substance it causes yellowing of the skin, hair loss, bone cancer and often results in death.
Late June, Annie Besant wrote an article in her newspaper, the link. Shown in figure c. This The article drew attention to the dangers of phosphorus fumes and complained about the low wages paid to the women who worked at Bryant and May. The article written by Besant attracted the attention of The Bryant and May company who reacted by forcing their workers to sign a statement that they were happy with their jobs. Most women refused to agree and this was the day that 1400 match girls went on strike.
Annie didn't hesitate to use the most emotive language in order to bring support for them:
"Do you know that girls are used to carrying boxes on their heads until the hair is rubbed off and the young heads are bald at fifteen years of age ? Country clergymen with shares in Bryant and May’s, draw down on your knee your fifteen year old daughter ; pass your hand tenderly over the silky beauty of the black, shinning tresses".