Kate Sclater

Kate Sclater (or Slater; married name Kate Furnell; 20 October 1863 – 1950) was a British trade unionist and match packer. She was among the leaders of the 1888 Matchgirls' strike, and one of the first members of the strike committee.

Personal life Kate Sclater was born in Southampton in 1863, the daughter of Ellen Jane (née Blake) and William Sipping Sclater. She was baptised on 24 January 1864. The family moved to London sometime between May 1873 and October 1874. Shortly afterwards, initially protesting the dismissal of a worker suspected of speaking to Besant, strike action was initiated. In a document discovered in 1999, Sclater was named on a list of suspected ringleaders of the strike, along with Eliza Martin, Alice Francis, Mary Driscoll, and Jane Wakeling. The match women have been called "mothers" of the modern labour movement, helping to secure better working conditions, better pay, and inspiring subsequent industrial action. However, particularly since the mid-20th century, there has been a revival in interest in the strikers and their legacy.

In recognition of its value for education and historical research, the Register of the 1888 strike, held in the Trade Union Congress Library collections, has been digitised. It as acknowledged as being "one of the few episodes from British labor history that is taught in schools and is known to the general public."

Following the discovery by researchers in 2020 that Sclater was born and brought up in Southampton, a campaign to have a memorial plaque erected for her there was initiated.