About Mary Stirling
Mary Stirling was a trade unionist and cobbler.
Mary Stirling was an American labor unionist active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Stirling worked as a shoemaker in Philadelphia. In 1880, she joined a new Knights of Labor local, Garfield Assembly No. 1684, which she co-led with Mary Hanafin.
In 1883, Stirling was elected as one of eight District 1 delegates to the national Knights of Labor convention. The conventions had previously been all-male, but union leader Terence V. Powderly ruled that women should be admitted on an equal basis with men. Stirling was appointed Grand Venerable Sage of the convention and received three votes for Grand Worthy Foreman, the second-highest office in the union.
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Important facts
Frequently asked questions
Who was Mary Stirling?
American labor unionist
What was Mary Stirling's occupation?
Mary Stirling was a trade unionist and cobbler.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mary Stirling. https://biography.guide/mary-stirling/
MLA: "Mary Stirling." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mary-stirling/.
Chicago: "Mary Stirling." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mary-stirling/.
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