Last night we enjoyed a very interesting talk by Graham Dodd about Ada Nield Chew. Graham is a member of the Nantwich Museum Board of Trustees and a key member of the Museum's Research Group.

Graham explained about Ada's brand of non-militant constitutional suffrage. She was born on 28th Jan. 1870 and became known as the 'Red-Headed Thrawn' because of her forthright views about labour rights and working conditions. She worked in the finishing department of a clothing factory in Crewe and Graham went on to explain about the first letter that Ada wrote to the Crewe Chronicle & and Western Advertiser in May 1894, stressing the need for economic independence for women, the letter being signed off with the words 'a Crewe factory girl'.

Published within a few days, and encouraged by the editor to share more of her eloquently written and thoughtfully expressed opinions, this first letter was followed by a further 10 letters during the next 6 months. Eventually, Compton's factory in Crewe was identified as her place of work.

Over the coming years her articulate, expressive written and public utterances resulted in her increasing popularity within the growing Labour movement of the time.

She eventually retired from public life and, during the 1930s, she embarked on a round-the-world cruise lasting several months. She died on 27th Dec. 1945 aged 75 - you can see a memorial window containing her form in Crewe's Morrisons supermarket!

Thanks to Graham for an excellent presentation.