Mary Reid Macarthur

"Mary Reid" redirects here. For Mary Reid-Greyeyes, see Mary Greyeyes.

Mary Reid Macarthur (13 August 1880 – 1 January 1921) was a Scottish suffragist and trades unionist. She was born in Glasgow and became politicised when she joined the Shop Assistants' Union whilst working in her father's drapers shop. In 1903 she became the general secretary of the Women's Trade Union League and in 1906 formed the National Federation of Women Workers and assisted in the creation of the National Anti-Sweating League.[1] In 1909 Mary 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.[2]

Early history

Macarthur was born Mary Reid Anderson on 13 August 1880 in Glasgow, the eldest of six children to John Duncan Macarthur, the owner of a drapery business, and his wife, Anne Elizabeth Martin.[3] She was educated in the city at Glasgow Girls' High School, and spent time studying in Germany before returning to Scotland to work for her father as a bookkeeper.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Vellacott, Jo (1993). From Liberal to Labour with Women's Suffrage: The Story of Catherine Marshall. McGill-Queen's Press. p. 385. ISBN 0-7735-0958-5.
  2. ↑ "Mary Reid MacArthur". High Beam Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  3. 1 2 John, Angela V. "Mary Reid Macarthur". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/30411. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)


External links


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