Mary Brooksbank and everyday life in a women’s town

The writings of Mary Brooksbank, mill worker and communist activist, provide a window into the thoughts and feelings of a working woman in industrial society. She coped with repetitive work, harsh social conditions and gender inequality. Female millworkers, although poor, made a greater contribution to household incomes than was usual in her lifetime, giving them confidence in dealing with men. Mary’s values and attitudes were shaped by her Catholic upbringing, the communist party, and her mother, who raised a large family. Working-class culture gave her a sense of identity. She benefited from the camaraderie of the tenement, the mill and the Dundee Working Women’s Guild, friendship with individual women, and a supportive husband. Her depictions of poverty are unsurpassed.