Gertrude Tuckwell
NFWW conference at Workers' Institute 1912
Gertrude Tuckwell's presidential speech 1912
Gertrude Tuckwell became a supporter of the 1910 chainmakers' strike through her involvement in a movement to improve women's working conditions and education.
She was a close friend of Mary Macarthur, also very involved in organising the strike.
Gertrude was Honorary Secretary of the Women's Trade Union League (W.T.U.L.). Later she became President. She was also President of the National Federation of Women Workers (N.F.W.W.), and played an important part in the campaign against the use of sweated labour.
Gertrude visited Cradley Heath several times. She was one of the original five Trustees of the Workers' Institute. Shortly after the building was opened, in 1912, Gertrude chaired the annual conference of the N.F.W.W. at the Institute. You can see a newspaper photograph of the platform, taken on that occasion, and read a report of the speech that she made.
Gertrude was born in Oxford in 1861. She was the second daughter of Reverend William Tuckwell and his wife, Rosa. She spent her childhood in Somerset and Warwickshire parsonages. She became a pupil teacher at a Liverpool training college, and did her teaching practice in the slums. She taught working class infants, in Chelsea, for six years. Poor health at the time caused her to leave teaching.
The influence of her aunt Emilia and her husband Sir Charles Dilke M.P. led her into a life dedicated to the development of women's trade unionism and the labour movement. She campaigned to protect women from industrial injury, in particular lead poisoning and "phossy jaw", a disease contracted by many matchworkers. She was also active in legal and public health matters. She was appointed Companion of Honour in 1930.
Gertrude died on 5th August 1951 at the age of 90. Her friend, Violet Markham, remembered her as, "Tall and beautiful, not only a highly cultured and distinguished woman, but she had a rare and tender nature, unswerving in its affection and loyalty." (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2004)
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| Reference: | 688 |
| Keywords: | Matchgirls |
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| Updated: | Thu 6 Sep 2007 - 14 |
| Interpretation written by | Barbara Harris |
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