Latest news with #AdaNieldChew
BBC News
01-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Female engineers from Crewe design plinth to honour women's activist
An all-female team of engineering students say they are proud to have designed a plinth to honour the historical activist known as Crewe Factory Ada Nield Chew used the pseudonym to write letters to her local newspaper, the Crewe Chronicle, during the 1890s in complaint of the conditions at her workplace.A blue plaque in her memory now stands on a giant metal cotton bobbin, engraved with line drawings that reflect Ada's life, outside the site of the former Compton's Clothing Factory on Bridle vision of students from Crewe Engineering and Design UTC, 17-year-old student Elizabeth Potter said: "I think they wanted us involved to show that women in engineering does happen." Ada's plaque was unveiled by the mayor of Crewe, Sally Graham, on 30 June to a crowd which included members of the A Statue for Ada group and the activist's great-great-nephew, Frank Nield, described the plaque and plinth as 'brilliant' and was pleased Crewe Town Council had chosen to involve local female students."I was very impressed with it," he beamed, "The kids designed it wonderfully well.""Talking to the Crewe residents, they want people to feel greater pride in their town," he students spoke passionately about Ada's story and their ambitions to enter a male-dominated industry."Around Crewe, a lot of males are remembered," noted engineering student Olivia Snmit, 17."A lot of streets and buildings are named after them, whereas you don't really see that for the women who made history in Crewe."Crewe Town Council say they will continue to support the A Statue for Ada group and plan to celebrate more influential females with their Crewe in 50 Women campaign. Ada left Compton's after being unmasked and went on to join the Independent Labour Party, as well as actively supporting the women's suffrage Chitty, Principal at Crewe Engineering and Design UTC said: "It is wonderful that the students will be able to lay claim to an important landmark in our town for years to come. "I am so proud that the collaboration between Crewe UTC, the Town Council and Area Welding has produced such a fitting monument to an incredible woman."
BBC News
23-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Crewe women's rights campaigner to be honoured with blue plaque
An activist who campaigned for women's rights in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is set to be honoured with a blue plaque in her tribute to Ada Nield Chew, from Crewe, Cheshire, will be revealed during an invite-only ceremony on Bridle Road on 30 by the pseudonym Crewe Factory Girl, the Staffordshire-born tailor wrote letters to her local paper during the 1890s to complain about the conditions at her plaque is to feature on a specially-made plinth at the site of where her factory, Compton's Clothing Factory, once stood. Her complaints about the business, for which she made uniforms, included being paid a "lingering, dying wage". She later joined the fight for women's suffrage, preferring peaceful methods of action, and was an active campaigner until women secured the right to vote in Statue for Ada campaign group was formed in Crewe a number of years ago, with the aim of building a fitting memorial in Ms Chew's hometown by trustee Kate Blakemore previously said it was about more than a statue – she wanted people to talk about Ms Chew and her work."We want the next generation of activists to come through, to use their voice to influence change," she said. Read more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
