Ann Lilburn
British activist in the 1984-1985 miners strike
About Ann Lilburn
Lived 1939 – 2007 (aged 67–68).
Ann Lilburn (, 1939–2007) was a British activist who became a leader in the Women Against Pit Closures movement during the 1984–85 coal miners' strike. She was national chair of the organisation.
The wife of Gordon Lilburn, and the mother of Billy and Alan Lilburn, all 3 striking miners, from Whittle Colliery in Northumberland. Her family had £6.45 to live on a week during the strike.
Ann became active in her local branch of Women Against Pit Closures (WAPC) Before her involvement in WAPC, she had not spoken publicly.
A WAPC rally was held at Saltergate Football Stadium in Chesterfield for International Women's Day 1985, where Lilburn spoke alongside fellow activists Betty Heathfiled and Ann Scargill.
After the end of the strike, Lilburn joined the Campaign For Coal. She also continued to speak for working-class women, such as at the Women of the World conference in Athens, Greece. Greek newspapers called her "The housewife, Thatcher's nightmare".
Ann Lilburn died in 2007.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ann Lilburn's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ann Lilburn?
British activist in the 1984-1985 miners strike (1939–2007)
When was Ann Lilburn born?
Ann Lilburn was born in 1939.
When did Ann Lilburn die?
Ann Lilburn died in 2007.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ann Lilburn. https://biography.guide/ann-lilburn/
MLA: "Ann Lilburn." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ann-lilburn/.
Chicago: "Ann Lilburn." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ann-lilburn/.
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