35 - What a Match-Girl Wants: The 1888 Match Workers Strike

Footnotes of History

After much anticipation we release today our latest Footnotes main series episode: Number 35, on the Bryant and May matchgirls strike of 1888.

As always - if you want the backdrop as well as knowing exactly when an episode is coming out and the ability to ask us email questions, join the subscriber list on the homepage: footnotesofhistory.com

As you would expect from this kind of episode, we entangle ourselves in centuries of highly politicised labour history, slightly questionable economics and – surprisingly – a number of insights which we really think ought to be better known, one of which includes the historian’s number one mistake: grafting modern views onto the past.

So what does a matchgirl want? Well they’re striking for a reason and you’ve got to listen in to find out. The episode will include:

· A profile of the idealistic Fabian-socialist writer who exposed conditions at the factory and why she – counterintuitively - didn’t want industrial action!

· The White Terror: the deadly chemical in matches and what they could do to someone’s face if the fumes were inhaled!

· Tim’s bigger-picture take on how match factory conditions may not have been as bad as we think - especially when compared to other East-End London jobs at the time!

· Bryant and May’s early match factories and why they turned to the dark side - and more dangerous products!

· A live, historic example of the Streisand Effect!

· Dan makes the case against the “uneducated” defenceless young women argument!

· How Big Matches churned through workers despite penury-level wages, a vicious discipline system and potentially lethal long term conditions (Hint: Irish immigration)!

As always, thanks for listening (and some apologies from Dan for his croaky voice) and if you get the chance, go to our page on apple podcasts to leave us a review.

This’ll help us get the word out about Footnotes of History and we can record more and more regular episodes!