27 Facts About Mary Macarthur

Mary Macarthur was the general secretary of the Women's Trade Union League and was involved in the formation of the National Federation of Women Workers and National Anti-Sweating League.

In 1910, Macarthur led the women chain makers of Cradley Heath to victory in their fight for a minimum wage and led a strike to force employers to implement the rise.

Around 1901, Mary Macarthur became a trade unionist after hearing a speech made by John Turner about how badly some workers were being treated by their employers.

Mary Macarthur became secretary of the Ayr branch of the Shop Assistants' Union, and her interest in this union led to her work for the improvement of women's labour conditions.

In 1902 Mary became friends with Margaret Bondfield who encouraged her to attend the union's national conference where Macarthur became the first woman to be elected to the union's national executive.

Mary Macarthur attended Glasgow Girls' High School, and, after editing the school magazine, decided she wanted to become a full-time writer.

In 1903 Mary Macarthur moved to London where she became Secretary of the Women's Trade Union League.

Mary Macarthur believed that a limited franchise would disadvantage the working class and feared that it might act against the granting of full adult suffrage, and this view did not make her welcome in the more high profile suffrage movements.

Mary Macarthur's view was criticised by the middle-class leaders of the Votes for Woman movement who thought that a partial enfranchisement was more likely to succeed and that would make it easier to achieve a full suffrage.

In general Mary Macarthur chose the universal suffrage position over gradualist approaches both within the Trade Union movement and the Women's Rights movement.

Mary Macarthur was involved in the Exhibition of Sweated Industries in 1905 and the formation of Britain's Anti-Sweating League in 1906.

Mary Macarthur was the trade unionist who led the women chain makers in their fight for better pay.

The highlight was a mass rally in Southwark Park where the blistering oratory of Mary Macarthur was backed up by suffragists Sylvia Pankhurst, Charlotte Despard and George Lansbury.

In 1911, Mary Macarthur married William Crawford Anderson, chairman of the executive committee of the Labour party, who was from 1914 to 1918 member for the Attercliffe division of Sheffield.

Mary Macarthur was a 'firm believer in universal rather than purely women's suffrage, and she had been careful not to allow the fight for the vote to become confused with her campaigns for better pay and conditions.

Mary Macarthur was well aware that success depended to a great extent on the support of the male trade unionist and politicians.

When, at the end of the war, women aged 30 and over were given the vote, and were allowed for the first time to stand for Parliament, Mary Macarthur saw her next challenge'.

Mary Macarthur was opposed by Victor Fisher of the National Democratic and Labour Party, who had the support of the Coalition, secret funding from the Unionists, and ran a particularly abusive campaign.

Mary Macarthur was defeated, as were most anti-war candidates, including her husband, William Anderson, who was defending Sheffield, Attercliffe.

Mary Macarthur continued her work with the Women's Trade Union League and played an important role in transforming it into the Women's section of the Trade Union Congress.

Mary Macarthur was the General Secretary and Elliott was employed to recruit workers into the union.

Mary Macarthur was paid less than she had earned as a munitions worker during the war and she was expected to work every day of the week on a 14 hour day.

Mary Macarthur Anderson died of cancer on 1 January 1921, at the age of 40, in Golders Green, London.

An exhibition commemorating Mary Macarthur is displayed in the Cradley Heath Workers' Institute, which has been rebuilt at the Black Country Living Museum.

Mary Macarthur is remembered in the name of Mary Macarthur Drive, Cradley Heath.

Mary Macarthur was featured in the Townsend Theatre Productions touring folk ballad Rouse Ye Women during April 2019.

Bryony Purdue played the role of Mary Macarthur supported by Neil Gore and Rowan Godel.