The Era Of The Great War #18: Clydeside Rent Strikes 1915-1916 Flashcards
What did many people move to Glasgow?
Due to a high demand for labour
Why did prices inflate?
People increasing, amount of property staying the same size, demand increasing, prices increasing
How did landlords exploit tenants?
By raising rent prices
What did woman organise where landlords had increased rent?
Tenants’ strike committees
What did tenants strike committees do?
They helped to organise a campaign of non-payment of rents
What was it legal to do at the time?
Evict those behind in rent
What did the committees do to stop people being legally evicted from their homes due to being behind in rent?
Blockades
What was done to women behind in rent?
- would confiscate their possessions without warning to pay for rent
- EVEN IF THEY HAD HUSBANDS AT WAR
When was the Glasgow Women’s Housing Association founded?
1914
Who were prominent members of the Glasgow Women’s Housing Association?
Helen Crawford and Agnes Dollan
Where is an area where rental increases simply were not paid?
Govan
Who led the South Govan Woman’s Housing Association?
Mary Barbour
What political party helped the South Govan Woman’s Housing Association?
ILP
What did the South Govan Woman’s Housing Association do?
Organised tenants committees and resistance to elections
Rent disputes eventually grew to involve…
- All of Glasgow’s munitions factories and some 20000 tenants
- workers from factories & shipyards threatened to strike in sympathy and solidarity
When did the first rent strike begin?
May 1915
How many took part in the first ever rent strike of May 1915?
25000
When was Mrs Barbour’s Army’s huge demonstration?
November 1915
What did one of the biggest ever was demonstrations include, led by Mrs Barbour’s army?
- female tenants
- shipyards
- engineering workers
What did government worry about after rent strikes?
A threat to war production
What did the Rent Restriction Act (1915) do?
- Stopped rent increases in munitions districts and set rents at pre-war (August 1914) rates
- unless improvements had been made to property
Public opinion on rent strikes
Sympathetic
How did rent strikes portray women?
Showed the strength of female community leaders
Describe what happened on the 17th of November 1915 with Mary Barbour’s Army
- They marched on the sheriff courts against one landlord’s attempt to force 18 evictions - 15 of which involved munitions workers
- Although peaceful, the demonstration was barred from entering the building, which overflowed with non-payers and their supporters.
- With feelings running high, the court called David Lloyd George, the munitions minister, who ordered the tenants to be released and the cases dropped.
- Cheers went up inside the court and out, where the crowd numbered 20,000.
