England’s forgotten suffragist
Ada was a working class woman who played a major role in the socialist and suffrage campaigns. Unlike many of her middle class counterparts her contribution is less well known and recognised. Ada Nield Chew is amongst the forgotten, yet strong and inspirational women, whose campaigning far transcended the fight for the right to vote.
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In the 1894, a tailor writing under the pseudonym Crewe Factory Girl complained to her local newspaper, the Crewe Chronicle, about the conditions at work. It was the first of 12 letters she would pen to the editor during that year. In her first letter Ada Nield wrote about being paid a ‘lingering, dying wage’ at Compton’s Clothing Factory. In her other letters she wrote about issues for workers including being charged for tea breaks and materials, and the disparity between wages earned by the female and male workers.
Resigning from the factory once her identify became known, she turned to politics and became involved with the Independent Labour Party (ILP), travelling the country in the Clarion Van to speak on their behalf. She married fellow ILP activist George Chew in 1897, and they had a daughter, Doris, who later wrote a book about her mother’s story. Doris Chew was also the founder of Mid Pennine Arts.
Ada became involved with the fight for women’s suffrage. Preferring peaceful methods of campaign she became a suffragist. During the First World War she was a pacifist and refused to participant in war work.
After some women secured the vote in 1918, Ada mostly stayed away from politics, setting up a drapery business and travelling the world extensively before her death in Burnley, Lancashire, at the age of 75 in 1945.
For Pendle Radicals
Writer and composer Jules Gibb and team are currently working on Ada and the Clarion Van, an adaptation of Alan Plater’s play for TV in the 1980s They have performed in progress extracts at public events – which featured readings, performance and songs. There will be further public events in 2026 and/or 2027. You can read more about this project in our Rebel Pen blog.
Jules has also collaborated with the Statue for Ada volunteers (see below) to devise educational workshop materials.
Further reading
Book – Ada Nield Chew: The Life and Writings of a Working Woman by Ada Nield Chew collated and edited by her daugher, Doris Chew, is available from second hand vendors.
Visit the Statue for Ada website to read more about Ada, access educational resources and read the first letter written by the Crewe Factory Girl.
Website – Visit Spartacus Educational for more information on Ada Nield Chew.