The 1880s saw lots of changes in favor of women’s rights in Britain. One such change was the result of the exposure of a major company, Bryant and May, for underpaying their workers, and purposely ignoring fatal health risks all in the name of profit. The young women, dubbed “matchgirls,” went on strike, and with the help of socialist and women’s rights activist Annie Besant, they were able to increase wages, minimize certain health risks, and generally improve the work environment.

Bryant and May was originally founded by two men, William Bryant and Francis May (Raw 94). May was described as “mild mannered and kindly,” though the same of which could not be said of Bryant (Raw 95). In the beginning the factory and employees seemed generally content with their work and work environment. It wasn’t until Bryant and his four sons Wilberforce, Arthur, Frederick, and Theodore essentially cut off any control or say that May might’ve had that health problems arose, salaries declined, and the unfair treatment of the women began (Raw 96).

 Bryant and May as a whole were very powerful during this time. They had so much control as exporters and producers that they were able to influence government legislature (Raw 97). Over time Bryant and May were able to create a monopoly over almost the entire East End of London, and not just over matches, which was their primary product, but over much of the market. They employed as many as 5,000 women, making them the largest employers of female workers (Gregory and Williams 69, Raw 94-95). Their reputation was pristine, something Bryant worked hard on. However, the reality was not that of the flattering view the public saw. The huge contrast between their public image and the actuality of the working conditions was one of the reasons this story was so sensational with the public and press (Raw 88).

The health problems the workers faced was due to the white phosphorous in the matches they were producing, which could cause phosphorous necrosis. When a small amount was ingested, the white phosphorous could cause nausea and vomiting, while full blown poisoning began with toothache and influenza like symptoms, swelling of the face and pain in the lower jaw, the gums and cheeks then developing “putrid abscesses” which produced disgusting pus, disfigurement and painful death could result, and inflammation of the brain caused convulsions and hemorrhaging in the lungs (Slim 1). This illness was what they called “the phoss” or “phossy jaw,” though we now know it today to be bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis (Raw 92, Slim 2).

Even at the time the disease was known to be preventable. If the makers had switched from white phosphorous to red phosphorous, the problem would’ve been fixed. The women asked for the change to be made, but they were denied because this would’ve negatively affected profits (Gregory and Williams 35). Instead, Bryant and May decided to hide the problem rather than remedy it, and they were backed by the government in doing this due to their immense power and influence (Raw 92).

The other main grievance that the women had with Bryant and May was about their wages. They were supposed to be paid 10-12 shillings a week, but instead they were only receiving 4, equal to about $12 in today’s money (Raw 96-97).

The strike itself occurred when one of the women was dismissed for supposedly disobeying instructions given to her by the foreman. When this happened, all the other women in the factory walked out as well, and soon the other factories followed suit (Raw 127). In the beginning Bryant and May were not worried and thought that the women would soon return. However, they were wrong, and despite going without wages for multiple weeks the women remained resolute in their fight for women’s rights (Raw 138).

The public and press were fascinated by the story and kept close tabs on the strike’s progress. The reason the public was so accepting of this strike versus other ones such as the dock worker’s strike was because the women played up the image of being little helpless, timid matchgirls (Gregory and Williams 36, Raw 88). This way they were not seen as a threat but rather a cause to be pitied and supported. The press was on their side, and the women were always portrayed as victims of Bryant and May.

Another factor that drew attention was the fact that when William and Arthur Bryant died, his remaining three sons took over, and they registered the business as a limited company, meaning shareholders could now have huge dividends. This got the socialists attention more so than the mistreatment of the women did (Raw 96). Additionally, Annie Besant, though not the mastermind behind the strike as many believe, published “White slavery in London,” which was about the matchgirls. This as well as her eventual support and backing of the girls put a spotlight on the case (Gregory and Williams 35).

Finally, with pressure from shareholders and the immense damage to their reputation, Bryant and May gave in. The women returned to work on these terms: abolition of all fines, abolition of all wage deductions for paint, brushes, stamps, etc., restitution of pennies, packers to have three pence, all grievances be taken straight to the managing director, not the foreman, a separate breakfast room so they didn’t eat in the same place as the dangerous phosphorous, that all the women be taken back, even the leaders who Bryant and May initially refused to take back, and finally the formation of a Matchmakers’ Union (Gregory and Williams 36, Raw 139). While maybe not the largest strike in the fight for women’s rights, the takedown of Bryant and May was an encouraging, morale raising victory.

Works Cited

Raw, Louise. Striking a Light: The Bryant and May Matchwomen and Their Place in History, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/depaul/detail.action?docID=743081.

Gregory, Eve, and Ann Williams. City Literacies: Learning to Read Across Generations and Cultures, Taylor & Francis Group, 2000. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/depaul/detail.action?docID=166011.

Slim, Lynne H, RDH, B.S.D.H., M.S.D.H. (2009). The matchgirls. Rdh, , 38. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.depaul.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.depaul.edu/docview/225019299?accountid=10477

Bryant and May match girls strike committee. 1888. Photograph. TUC Library Collections, London Metropolitan University