The story of Isabella Serplice- A winder in an Irish Linen Factory

This historical narrative, A Few Forgotten Women Story: Isabella Serplice’s Story, is a product of the ‘A Few Forgotten Women' collaborative research project, which investigates the lives of women who would otherwise be forgotten. One of the project's themed research days was looking into the Ulster linen industry. 'A Few Forgotten Women' is a volunteer-led community history initiative. The document reconstructs the life of Isabella Serplice (1867–1921), charting her journey from a weaving family in Magheralin to a factory worker and eventually a low-waged out-worker in Lurgan, County Down, Northern Ireland. Tracing her life through civil records and historical sources, the story documents: Early Life: Her Presbyterian Ulster Scots ancestors in Moneyslane and Drumadonnell in Drumgooland Industrial Change: The profound impact of the linen industry's shift from domestic handloom weaving to industrialized power loom factories on her family and community. Working Life: Isabella’s roles as a factory Winder at Johnston Allen & Co. in Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, and her subsequent transition to a home-based Linen Seamstress (out-worker) to manage childcare for her six children. Social Context: The severe living conditions in Lurgan, including her residence in the slum area of Rogers Court, and the financial struggles that led to housing repossession and the context of the 1913 Lurgan Weavers and Winders Strike. End of Life: Her final struggle with Acute Rheumatism, reflecting the health challenges of the working poor in the early 20th century. This research illuminates the harsh realities of working-class life for women in Ulster's industrial centres, providing rich, verifiable context to the lived experience of an often-overlooked figure.