» Lights in darkest England

In 1891 William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, bought a derelict factory in Old Ford, London. He fitted it with large windows and wash-basins, installed machinery and set people to work making Safety Matches.

During the latter part of the nineteenth century many workers (mostly women) in the matchmaking industry suffered from necrosis, or “phossy-jaw”. This form of bone cancer was caused by contact with the poisonous material used for the match heads. The sides of their faces turned green and then black and discharged a foul-smelling pus, before they died. Young girls carrying boxes of matches on their heads were bald by age 15. A new non-toxic substance had been invented by the Swedes, but the rate of take-up had stalled.

So Willliam Booth and the Salvation Army became matchmakers.

Booth’s match boxes carried the banner, Lights in Darkest England. He found agents all over the country. He urged people everywhere to shun poisonous matches for the sake of the workers. His competitors felt the pressure and began producing Safety Matches themselves. Necrosis was wiped out.

So William Booth shut down his match factory.

Next time you light a Safety Match spare a thought for William Booth; a movement founder who adapted his methods in order to achieve his mission; a movement founder who refused to choose between “saving souls” and making the world a better place.

Sources
BBC: Matches: A story of light and dark
Christian History: Salvation Army