Midwives, mid 19th century

[daggers]

Midwives are in the news just now, because of the TV series. Does anyone know abaout that occupation in around 1850-1865, in Liverpool?
Elizabeth Hooley was born in 1798 at Urswick, [north] Lancs, nee Wilkinson, but married Joseph Hooley in 1820 at St John's, Liverpool. No occupation is shown for her in the 1841 or 51 censuses, but in 1861 the census gives 'midwife', and a death notice in the Mercury of 2 March 1865 confirms this. She had lived at 10 Virgil Street for at least 10 years.

Any information about training, registration etc would be welcome.
Daggers

[MaryA]

My first instinct would have been to say that it would have been an occupation that was practiced without qualification, perhaps passed on from mother to daughter.

I don't know if this text might be too early for what you are interested in http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=y8JS ... ds&f=false but at least it's free on Google Books.

and wikipedia has a little more background http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monthly_nurse

Interesting article http://www.lady.co.uk/life/health/88-th ... e-thinking

[ZED]

I have midwives in my family, from the same era: Fanny Irving (nee Armstrong) b. 1786 ... described as a midwife on the 1851 census return. She was living at Number 4 Court, Brunswick View at the time.

Her daughter, Margaret (b. 1836) appears to have no occupation at all in 1851, 1861, or 1871 ... but she is described as a midwife in 1881! (And by 1911 she had become 'a certified midwife').

[Bertieone]

A Brief History

http://www.studentmidwife.net/fob/a-bri ... ifery.662/

[daggers]

Thanks to you all for those links. With them in mind I suspect that Elizabeth was untrained, as there is no evidence of anything. Always interesting to read up about past times and how professions developed.
D

[Gray]

Hi D,

As far as I'm aware before 1860 there was no formal training or qualifications for general nurses or midwives.
It was after the Crimean War that Florence Nightingale called for 'proper' training of nurses.

Midwives before this time were usually local trusted women,sometimes known as handy-women.

I believe there was a Diploma issued c1850 from the Royal College of Surgeons, not sure it took off though?

The Midwives I knew had all completed three years training as SRN then took a Post Grad course of eighteen months.

edited: Love this poem

Midwife

‘It’s time’ one of us breathes into the phone
– but she knows, she’s already here,
putting down her bag of mysteries
(oxygen mask? forceps?)
and the chief performer, first violin, the star,
takes her first position;
as for the rest of us, well, we know a maestro
when we see one – she’s the one with the
supple wrist; easy, precise,
she coaxes us into our parts,
we’d follow her anywhere.
When she’s ready for us to move forward,
aside, we know, by a particular intentness of
fingers and face that draws us into the
whole resonant magic.
And then we’re there – all, even the extras,
have come to a brilliant finale.
She steps down, congratulating the lead
(there are two of them now), us too – and yes,
thank you, she will have a glass of champagne
– as though she’s done nothing special.
Now that’s skill.
That’s style.

Poem written for midwife Helen Waugh by
Lauris Edmonds



Gray