A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812

Martha Ballard is the most important figure in A Midwife’s Tale, as she is the titular midwife. Born in Oxford, Massachusetts in 1735, she was educated enough to both read and write and was trained, likely through practical application, in the ways of midwifery and medicine. While living in Oxford, Martha did not record any midwifery practice, as midwives were typically older, established women in the community. However, after the family moved north to Hallowell, Maine, Martha began her midwifery practice, as she was one of the older, more established women in their new location. Martha also began her diary around this time, starting perhaps as an almanac of the weather or ledger of births attended, but eventually growing and transforming into a daily ritual of recording her life as she experienced it. 

Martha’s religion plays an important role in her diary. A devout Christian, much of her worldview is informed by the idea of God and God’s control over the events of her life. In times of illness, financial hardship, or family strife, Martha turns to prayer on the pages of her diary, pleading with God to give her strength and patience to carry on. In moments of religious fervor, Martha’s inner life becomes clarified and her vulnerability shines through. While much of the diary is nearly objective and detached, as she aged, she became more open about feeling overwhelmed by the work required of her as both midwife and housewife. 

Martha had nine children with her husband, Ephraim, a number that was not unusual for the time and culture as much of the New England economy was reliant on family labor. Large families with an even balance of sons and daughters were conducive to a productive family economy. The Ballards had an even number of sons and daughters, after the death of three of their daughters during the diphtheria outbreak in Oxford in 1769. By the end of 1779, they had three sons—Cyrus, Jonathan, and Ephraim—and three daughters: Lucy, Hannah, and Dolly. This even number of children allowed for both Ephraim and Martha to successfully run their respective aspects of their household, with Ephraim and the boys working on the mills and in the fields, and Martha and the girls working with textiles and other domestic chores, at least until the girls married and left home. 

Martha’s role as a midwife positioned her uniquely in the community as a bridge between the spheres of men and women in the realm of healthcare. She was the first one called for a woman in labor, but occasionally she called for a doctor if there was a dire emergency during her visit. The male doctors had respect for her work, though they thought themselves superior to midwives due to their gender and social standing. Still, Martha’s presence even in situations that required a doctor (which happened on numerous occasions, as Drs. Cony and Page are mentioned in several Martha’s diary entries) allowed for better care of her patients, as Martha was more familiar with midwifery and the experiences of womanhood.

Martha died in June 1812 and worked as a midwife into the last month of her life at 77 years old, demonstrating an unwavering dedication to her vocation and her compassionate care for her community. At the end of her life, she also dedicated herself to her garden, cultivating a number of plants that grew fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers, some of which likely had medicinal uses, but all of which gave her satisfaction and fulfilled her urge to nurture, the very personality trait that likely guided her toward midwifery.

Ephraim Ballard was Martha’s husband. A land surveyor, he was the first of the family to leave Massachusetts for Maine in 1775. His job often took him away for days, or even weeks, at a time, leaving Martha and the children to complete the household work in his absence. In addition to land surveying, Ephraim also worked at the mills near the family house, planted crops for the farm, and assisted Martha in the textile economy by providing the tools necessary for the women to weave. Ephraim also served in several town positions, such as town clerk and selectman. During the American Revolution, Ephraim had a reputation as a Tory (British loyalist), but not a reputation strong enough to damage his social standing when the Americans won the war. 

Martha’s entries suggest that she and Ephraim had a good marriage overall, but when Martha became more fatigued and ill in the late 1790s-early 1800s, her diary expresses her resentment toward him. Since the diary is entirely from Martha’s perspective, Ephraim’s feelings are largely unclear. Martha, in moments of heightened emotion, cast him as unsympathetic to her plight, or perhaps oblivious.

Ephraim’s time in debtor’s jail also negatively impacted Martha’s life. As town tax collector, the job he obtained when he wanted to stop land surveying due to rising attacks on land surveyors from settlers, he was responsible for collecting the taxes of the town, but he fell short by $800. The town had no choice but to jail him for the deficit. The debtor’s jail had little security, and Ephraim was even allowed to leave during the day to work. His absence was difficult for Martha, as she had no man around to cut wood for her, and Ephraim’s absence led to Jonathan and Sally taking over his and Martha’s house. Ephraim survived Martha, eventually dying in 1821 at the age of 96.