Crewe Library hosts exhibition celebrating 'Ada the factory girl' who fought for women's rights
An exhibition celebrating an unsung hero who fought for women's rights has moved to Crewe Library after attracting many visitors to the town's Market Hall.
People from across South Cheshire and beyond have been keen to learn more about Ada Nield Chew, the suffragist who wrote under the pseudonym 'Crewe Factory Girl' to her local newspaper complaining about conditions at work.
In her first letter to the Crewe Chronicle on 5 May 1894, Ada wrote about being paid a "lingering, dying wage" at Compton's Clothing Factory, where she made uniforms for soldiers, police and railway workers.
Her campaigning led to improvements for female colleagues and she later joined the fight for women's suffrage but unlike her counterparts Ada has never been properly recognised in her hometown.
Now the Cheshire Women's Collaboration (CWC) is hoping to change that with a crowd-funder which aims to raise enough money to erect a statue of Ada in Crewe.
BBC news shone the spotlight on the exhibition after its launch in July when CWC chair and trustee of 'A Statue for Ada' Kate Blakemore spoke more about their aims.
Kate said: "We believe Ada is an unsung hero and have a long term plan to see her honoured with a statue. We know this may take a long time as we have to raise all the funds, but we will not be deterred.
"We have already chosen to work with sculptor Hazel Reeves who designed the Emmeline Pankhurst and Elizabeth Wolstenholme Elmy statues in Manchester.
"The most important part of our fundraising is to raise awareness of Ada Nield Chew's amazing life and we are so heartened by the messages of goodwill from people who have been to see the exhibition so far."
Ada wrote many times to the paper. In her final letter of September 1894, she looked back at the impact her campaigning had made.
In particular, she spoke about securing a reduction in the cost of materials that workers had to buy. "At the very least it will mean an extra 10 shillings a year in the pocket of each girl. That will go a long way towards providing her with a much-needed holiday once a year," she wrote.
The display includes pictures, posters, letters and newspaper cuttings as well aprons, hats and dresses which would have been worn by Ada.
Ada passed away on December 27 1945, aged 75.
The new exhibition can be seen at Crewe Library until mid-October when it will move to another local venue.
Future destinations include Cheshire College South & West.
Crewe: For further dates and information on how to get involved in fundraising go to 'A Statue for Ada', please head to this link.
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