In the latest of her occasional features about local history, Thurrock Historical Society's Susan Yates writes for Thurrock Nub News and tells the story of a brave woman who proved more than a match for employers who treated their workers appallingly.

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IN this article I write about one of my political heroes or should I say heroines who has a Thurrock connection.

I have written about Kitty O'Shea, sister of Lady Emma Barrett-Lennard of Belhus Manor, Avelely, and her relationship with the Irish Prime Minister Charles Parnell.

This time my subject is a cousin of Lady Emma Barrett-Lennard, Annie Besant.

She was born Annie Wood on 1 October 1847 to William Burton Purse Wood and Emily Roche Morris at 2 Fish Street Hill, Eastcheap. She was baptised on 13th November 1847 at St. Benet Gracechurch and St. Leonard Eastcheap.

Her father died when she was five and her mother was struggling so Ellen Marryat, a family friend, brought her up. On 15 December 1867 she married Frank Besant a clergyman.

By the time was Annie 23 she had two children. Her husband's religious lifestyle conflicted with her socialist spirit. Things came to a head when Annie refused to attend communion and her husband ordered her to leave the family home. Initially her daughter Mabel went with her, leaving her son Arthur with her husband who later fought a court case successfully to get custody of their daughter. It was not until Mabel was 21 old that she was able to live with her mother again.

Annie developed a friendship with Charles Bradlaugh, editor of the radical National Reformer newspaper. In 1877 they published 'The Fruits of Philosophy' by Charles Knowlton.

This book advocated birth control and as a result they were charged with publishing material that was "likely to deprave or corrupt those whose minds are open to immoral influences".

They were found guilty of publishing an "obscene libel" and sentenced to six months in prison. They appealed and the sentence was quashed. After the court-case Annie wrote and published her own book advocating birth control entitled 'The Laws of Population'. It was about this time that Annie Besant joined the socialist group, the Fabian Society.

She was at a meeting of the Fabian Society when the following motion was passed: "That this meeting, being aware that the shareholders of Bryant and May are receiving a dividend of over 20 per cent., and at the same time are paying their workers only 2¼d.(1p) per gross for making match-boxes, pledges itself not to use or purchase any matches made by this firm."

Hearing this Annie decided to investigate for herself.

Bryant & May's factory was located close to lan now occupied by London Stadium. She spoke to some of the girls who told her they started work at 6am in summer and 8am in winter, finishing at 6pm with half an hour for breakfast and an hour for lunch.

The workforce was made up of young girls who had to stand all day and a piece worker earned 4s. (20p.) per week. More experienced workers could earn 8s. (40p) per week. Out of that they paid 2s (10p) rent for one room, eating bread and butter for breakfast and dinner.

This pathetic salary was subject to deductions for fines for:-

• dirty feet
• the area under their workbench being left untidy
• a fine of 3d (1.5p) for putting 'burnts' (matches that have caught fire during the work) on the bench.
• In some departments they were fined for talking whilst working
• if late they were shut out for half a day and 5d (2p) deducted from their daily pay of 8d (3.5p).

Girls had been given fines of up to 2s. 6d. (12.5p).

One girl was fined 1s (5p) for letting the web twist round a machine to stop it cutting her fingers. She was promptly told to ignore her fingers and look after the machine.

Annie's article appeared under the heading White Slavery in London on 23 June 1888. Theodore Bryant of Bryant & May was furious and threatened legal action. Annie told him to go ahead as she could back up every statement and was quite prepared to do so.

These poor girls also suffered from something called 'phossy jaw'. Yellow Phosphorous, which was cheaper, was added to matchsticks to make them ignite quicker. The phosphorous caused abscesses in the mouth eventually eating away the jaw bone. This led to facial disfigurement and could prove fatal. The only treatment was removal of the lower jaw bone.

It is said that victims of 'phossy jaw' had gums which glowed in the dark.

Annie's article had a cataclysmic effect on the working classes of Britain. Bryant & May management tried to pressurise the women into retracting their statements of poor working conditions but the girls refused and sent an anonymous letter to Annie: "Dear Lady they have been trying to get us to say it is all lies that has been printed and to make us sign papers that says it is all lies dear lady nobody knows what we have put up with and we will not sign them. We thank you very much for the kindness you have shown to us.

My dear lady we hope you will not get into any trouble on our behalf as what you have spoken is quite true."

The girls felt they had no alternative and called a strike. 1,400 women withdrew their labour. By 6 July the whole factory had stopped work.

That same day about 100 of the women went to see Annie Besant and asked for her assistance. She knew nothing of the strike and was at first rather dismayed by the action they had taken and by the number of women who were now out of work with no means of support.

They set up their own union and elected Annie Besant as leader. Annie spoke at meetings. Charles Bradlaugh MP spoke in parliament and on 11 July a deputation of match women went to meet three MPs. There was a lot of publicity.

At first, the management was firm, but the factory owner, Mr Bryant, was a leading Liberal and nervous of the publicity.

On 16 July, it was agreed that fines, deductions for the cost of materials and other unfair deductions would be abolished and that in the future grievances could be taken straight to the management.

Very importantly, meals were to be taken in a separate room, where the food would not be contaminated by the phosphorus. These terms were accepted and the strike ended. The girls' victory over their employers proved very important as prior to this unskilled workers had been loath to consider industrial action because they felt it would only lead to their losing their jobs.

The match girls had proved that collective action by unskilled workers could be successful.

Annie was an ardent supporter of home rule in both Ireland and India. She continued to write letters to British newspapers arguing the case for women's rights. She went to live in India and whilst there Annie joined the struggle for Indian Home Rule. She was imprisoned, and after her release was elected President of the Indian National Congress. She fell ill in 1931 and on 20 September 1933 in Adyar, Chennai, India she died.