The Era Of The Great War #18: Clydeside Rent Strikes 1915-1916

Question 1

What did many people move to Glasgow?

Answer 1

Due to a high demand for labour

Question 2

Why did prices inflate?

Answer 2

People increasing, amount of property staying the same size, demand increasing, prices increasing

Question 3

How did landlords exploit tenants?

Answer 3

By raising rent prices

Question 4

What did woman organise where landlords had increased rent?

Answer 4

Tenants’ strike committees

Question 5

What did tenants strike committees do?

Answer 5

They helped to organise a campaign of non-payment of rents

Question 6

What was it legal to do at the time?

Answer 6

Evict those behind in rent

Question 7

What did the committees do to stop people being legally evicted from their homes due to being behind in rent?

Answer 7

Blockades

Question 8

What was done to women behind in rent?

Answer 8

• would confiscate their possessions without warning to pay for rent
• EVEN IF THEY HAD HUSBANDS AT WAR

Question 9

When was the Glasgow Women’s Housing Association founded?

Answer 9

1914

Question 10

Who were prominent members of the Glasgow Women’s Housing Association?

Answer 10

Helen Crawford and Agnes Dollan

Question 11

Where is an area where rental increases simply were not paid?

Answer 11

Govan

Question 12

Who led the South Govan Woman’s Housing Association?

Answer 12

Mary Barbour

Question 13

What political party helped the South Govan Woman’s Housing Association?

Answer 13

ILP

Question 14

What did the South Govan Woman’s Housing Association do?

Answer 14

Organised tenants committees and resistance to elections

Question 15

Rent disputes eventually grew to involve…

Answer 15

• All of Glasgow’s munitions factories and some 20000 tenants
• workers from factories & shipyards threatened to strike in sympathy and solidarity

Question 16

When did the first rent strike begin?

Answer 16

May 1915

Question 17

How many took part in the first ever rent strike of May 1915?

Answer 17

25000

Question 18

When was Mrs Barbour’s Army’s huge demonstration?

Answer 18

November 1915

Question 19

What did one of the biggest ever was demonstrations include, led by Mrs Barbour’s army?

Answer 19

• female tenants
• shipyards
• engineering workers

Question 20

What did government worry about after rent strikes?

Answer 20

A threat to war production

Question 21

What did the Rent Restriction Act (1915) do?

Answer 21

• Stopped rent increases in munitions districts and set rents at pre-war (August 1914) rates
• unless improvements had been made to property

Question 22

Public opinion on rent strikes

Answer 22

Sympathetic

Question 23

How did rent strikes portray women?

Answer 23

Showed the strength of female community leaders

Question 24

Describe what happened on the 17th of November 1915 with Mary Barbour’s Army

Answer 24

• 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.