That midwives' midwifery is bad, daily proofs are constantly occurring': Midwifery in Birmingham and Environs, 1794 -1881

Dr Fran Badger, Honorary Research Fellow, History of Medicine Unit, University of Birmingham

Contemporary records, including a midwife’s register, lying-in charity and poor law data, reveal that Midlands’ midwives worked for a range of clients and often combined midwifery with other work. Sustained midwifery careers are revealed and many achieved status within their localities. Fran Badger argues that these provincial midwives should be integrated into the historiography of businesswomen.