Midwives were the hottest commodity in any community up until the advent of modern medicine. A good midwife could mean the difference between you and your baby surviving a difficult childbirth or the death of one or both of you. The training of midwives was handed down from one generation to the next, with the upcoming generation slowly assuming the role of guardian of the childbirth bed. In Colonial and early America, midwives were difficult to find. With people scattered across the frontier, it could be hours from the time a woman went into labor until a midwife could arrive.
Trigger Warning: sexual assault, child death/stillbirth, violence/murder, medical/birth trauma, misogyny, sexism, grief, emotional abuse.
Martha Ballard was a midwife in the state of Maine from 1785-1812. She delivered close to 1,000 babies over the course of her years as a practicing midwife. She never once lost a mother or a child. How do we know this? She kept a diary of the everyday happenings of her life. From the day to day happenings of her life, to the births and deaths of the people around her, to her medical practice. It is a treasure trove of information about life in the early days of the United States. I would like to add a note here. Martha was a woman who could read and write. In the late 1700's education of women was not commonplace. The fact that this record, written by a woman, exists is worthy of a separate discussion.
Ariel Lawhorn has taken information from Martha's Diary and written a book surrounding a rape trial in her town of Hallowell, Maine. As the midwife who treated the victim after her rape, Martha is called upon to testify. However, she can't testify without the presence of her husband, and neither can the victim.
Concurrent with the story of the rape is the story of the suspicious death of a man in the community. Martha was called in to identify the cause of death, but is pushed out of the way by a newly arrived male "doctor".
As the story unwinds, the depth of deceit slowly unravels while the women in the story are forced to live within the constraints that the men have placed upon them even as they attempt to seek justice.
It's a fascinating, thought provoking read.
For some follow-up information:
Make certain you read the author's notes in the back of the book. It's a treasure trove of research information.
A Midwife's Tale. Written by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. 1991.
Martha Ballard "Delivered". The Mayors Committee for Martha Ballard, Augusta Maine. https://www.marthaballard.com/marthaslife
A Midwife's Tale: Martha Ballards Diary. The American Experience: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/midwife-gallery-diary/
Author Website: https://www.ariellawhon.com/thefrozenriver/
