The life of Martha Ballard, a real-life 18th-century midwife, Her diary Spanning from 1785 to 1812, learning about midwifery, the lives of women, the legal system. Birth is when women feels vulnerable but are at their strongest. Women feel a moment away from death. Note this book is a well written fiction 20/7/25
Money used Dollars and shillings and francs
The subject of Illiteracy. High percentage of women were illiterate.
Maine, 1789: The Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, a respected gentleman alleged to be a rapist.
She was called to check the body and recognises who it as Burgess and that he was murdered by hanging and his body was thrown into the river. She has seen a number of dead bodies in her life. Was Rebecca Forster raped by Burgess and Colonel North as she claims. Martha attended to her afterwards and she is now pregnant despite her husband Isaac abstaining as they have 2 sons.
But there was no rope. Then Dr Page arrives and later in his testimony in court tells that the person died of drowning.
The trading store pays little for the pelts but will pay a lot for a skin of a silver fox. Martha is 54 years old she has given birth to 9 children and Ephraim junior the youngest is 11 at this stage.
At the dance Dolly refused to dance with Burgess and he grabbed her arm leaving a bruise on it and then there was a fight between Burgess and her older brother Cyrus.
1787 the US constitution was ratified and rape is a crime with the penalty of hanging but this conviction is rare.
With the river frozen the saw mill does not turn to cut logs into planks.
“Thou crusty open-arsed babbling liar!
Thou craven hag-born malt-worm!
Thou dankish prick-faced leprous carrion!” This is what she thinks about Dr Page.
In the court review Martha tell the Judge North that he should not be presiding as he has been accused as one of the people who raped Rachel when her husband Isaac was away. She is thrown out of court as contempt.
1754 35 years ago Billy Crane was hung on a gallow, you need to watch this. Ephraim said you must marry me tonight and nobody will ask the legitimacy of the child. Cyrus?
Ephraim was set to survey a piece of land near fort Halifax far away, as Colonel North did not want him around at the hearing as a women cannot testify if her husband is not present,
Martha has just returned from delivering a baby for Grace Sewel and she notices that Barnabas
1788 Emmeline, The Orphan of the Castle is the first novel written by English writer Charlotte Smith. Emmeline criticises the traditional marriage arrangements of the 18th century, which allowed women little choice and prioritised the needs of the family. life of British aristocracy.
She is attending a birth when Dr. Page arrives and takes over and says it is false contraction and gives her laudanum. Martha stays and Grace vomits up the laudanum and gives birth. Without Martha's presents Grace could have died.
Barnabas come to town and arrests James for being a debtor. Barnabas Lambard is an officer of the court and knows how to deal with people for whom he has a warrant to arrest. Later he returns and knocks on Mathers door as it is the first house at the start of the town and tells her he has come to arrest Burgess and needs to know where to find him. She tell Barnabas that he is at the Pollard Tavern. Barnabus goes there to be shown the corps and sees the evidence of the murder and checks the report of it. She never told him that Burgess was dead, he is shocked becomes aware of the murder involved.
Martha goes into Colemans store and he gives her all the news. He tells her that Dr. Page is well off and his wife has bought a lot and the live in a house and Dr. Page says it was that Martha wanted the laudenum for Grace.
Dr Pages wife is pregnant due in a few months.
Cyrus Ballard is 33 he has never married as he is mute since the age of 12, he will never work away from the mill or go to adventure or sea and people think he is dimwitted, in a society of many illiterates he writes what he wants to say. "A mans handwriting is a testament of his character."
Ephraim practiced mounted falconry with his bird Percy. He sent Percy back with a note that he will arrive at the court hearing directly the next day and Martha must go to it. The hearing in Vassalboro takes place in the meeting hall that also acts as a church. Presided over by Obadiah Wood who is a physician not qualified legal man. Rebecca charges that North and Burgess broke into her home and raped me. Just as Martha is about to give evidence Ephraim walks in so that her evidence can now be valid. Burgess said she was a traitor whore,Indian lover , Jezebel,Tempress , wanton. This was the reason to fire her husband from his job of preacher and not give him his unpaid wages. A preacher Cobb is coming in April when Rebecca is supposed to give birth and the house must be made vacant.
A midwife has an obligation to bury a dead born child. It is not uncommon for her to deliver illegitimate children, and many that are called bastards. The law says that a women guilty of fornication will pay a fine.
Between 1756 and 1778 Marcha had 9 children Cyrus Lucy , Martha, Jonathan Triphene , Hannah Dorothy ( Dolly) Ephriam. 3 died as infants.
Most of the families make their own candles by dipping the wick into the wax repeatedly till the layers build up. Cyrus is keen on Sarah White but she can't read.
Martha say every year she delivers babies born out of wedlock and many who are declared premature births but are not underweight.Our Puritan fathers would have us believe that lovemaking rarely happens outside the marriage bed, but I know better.
The court held under Wood presiding called accused North of alleged rape, not rape but North disappeared after that. This is followed by a snowstorm that stops all movement.
Cyrus is now arrested and taken by Barnabas on charges of murdering Burgess as he was the one last seen at the dance having the violent altercation with him.
Pregnant Charlette says that Major Henry Warren, the father of her baby will come back. Martha is keen for her oldest son Cyrus to marry Sarah as she considers it a solution for both of them but Cyrus can't talk and Sarah cant read. Martha giver Sarah a primer and helps her learn reading.
Linda North is in pain with migraines and comes to Martha to buy the tonic without her husband consent. Martha asks Linda if Major Henry Warren dined with them on August 10 and Linda can't tell as she says she keeps no guest book. Margaret does not want Linda's money. Linda says ask Samuel Coleman what it was like here before he Colonel North dealt with the Native Indians.
Baby Mary is having fits, a seizure of 45 seconds but not caused by injury. Doctor say it could be epilepsi but not to tell the parents. This is mentioned in Shakespeare in Julius Caesar as falling sickness. Othello raged and foamed in epilepsi and King Lear wished "a plague on you epileptic visage."
She goes into Pollard's shed and in a search finds Burgess's saddle bag and in it strip of lace from Rebecca. She also found 3 letters but is locked into the shed. Later Moses lets her out when his parents are asleep.
1760 Elspeth Home was almost blind and called Marth to help her and Martha became her apprentice without her knowledge or approval. Martha had been chosen as she was calm in time of tension. Many girls did not have wedding rings as the couples were so poor. When a women succumbs to fatigue in labour it is hard to rouse them.
She helps Mrs. Page in delivery and asks her, her name. No she tells her Mr's Page is from you husbands name eventually she get her Christian name out of her and says that is your name.
1762 Battle of Signal Hill took place St. Johns in Newfoundland the most Eastern part of British American.
Transport in the whole state of Maine depended on the Kennebec River and when it was frozen it was difficult to transport goods in and out.. This starts at the Moosehead lake and runs through Madison, Waterville , Augusta (state capital), and ends up in Richmond in the Merryweather Bay
1769 Diphtheria plague struct them in the hottest days of summer. All the children were ill but She and Ephraim were immune. The had swelling in their throat's and had to be fed broth she lost 3 children but Cyrus recovered and had no voice he was 12 years old.
At a court hearing every man tried of rape was acquitted but single pregnant women were fined.
William Pierce calls Matha and tells her she is responsible as his daughter Sally is dying. Sally is in labour, she won't reveal who the father is but names the boy after him Jonathan. Her son Jonathan immediately puts up the banns to marry Sally. Afterwards we discover that she was the one who enticed Jonathan into the relationship.
Bounties were paid for scalps of enemies in the wars against the French and Joseph North paid for his property with this money. Martha visits Linda North as she feels guilty that she never gave her the tonic she asked for to deal with migraines. She notices that Colonel North is not home and in his study she finds a document that he intends taking over the Ballard lease. They have fulfilled they obligation of paying off and being homesteaders they for the required 12 years she takes the document and get out, but he sees her.
Rebecca had been at home and Joshua Burgess broke in and raped her. Rebecca had mentioned that he tore a piece of lace off her dress to tie back her hair and she found that Sam Darwin also had a piece of this lace.
Doctor comes to her door to take her to help in a delivery. Martha is often called when there are secrets. Rebecca does not want this alien child but they tell her if it doesn't come out she will die, and leave her 2 sons orphans. It is a breech presentation and they work to change its direction and succeed the girl born has a strawberry birthmark by it knee like Burgess had on his head. Rebecca won't put the baby to her breast and so Martha takes it.
She goes to Sarah where there is a man by the fire holding her Charlotte . She is introduced to the man who is Major Henry Warren, Charlottes father. He has left the military and come to Sarah as Sarah said he would. He will take over Colemans store. Sarah feeds the late Burgess's daughter for now but other plans will have to be made. Martha decides to name the girl Emerline.
Now a silver fox frightens Martha's horse Brutus and she is thrown. She struggles to get up and go in pain home and sees a lamp in the mill and thinks that her husband Ephraim back and in the office. She is shocked to find Colonel North there, with his dog Cicero.
She asked him why he raped Rebecca and he says because she was friendly with the Indians, and he as judge decides what is allowed. She warns North not to touch her and she knows she can't run from him instead she slowly moves to the workbench and grabs a knife. He lowers his pants to rape her but she slashes out and cuts his penis. Ephriam now arrive he found Brutus on the road and hurried home. She stiches North up and says " Pity you hate women so much as you will spend the rest of your life pissing like one"
Ephraim puts North on the cart and takes him to Dr Page saying that North had an accident. It never comes out what happened to him and there are rumours of all the possible diseases he had.
Martha confronts Sam Darwin as she has figured out that he killed Burgess as he kept the piece of lace. Burgess had raped May Darwin in the barn when she went out of the dance to the privy. Sam looked for her and found her. Why was her son Cyrus arrested? Sam says that he had to kill Burgess as no women was safe with him around but who did he take with him. He admits that he took Jonathan with him. The rope was destroyed.
Martha tell Jonathan to ask his father about a man called Billy Crane and he did the right thing killing Burgess.
The ice melts, spring arrives and they are able to bury Burgesses body in the woods. The river flows ice washing away shores and jetties and the mill can turn again.
The End
