Footsteps from the Past IX

Footsteps from the Past IV – The Colonial Midwife

Description

Catherine Blaikley was a midwife in Williamsburg who had delivered over 3,000 babies by her death in 1771. Her work was essential to the health and survival of Williamsburg’s population, bridging social and racial divides. She attended free and enslaved people alike, mirroring the diverse social fabric of Williamsburg. The Virginia Gazette noted her remarkable career, hailing her as a vital figure in the town’s domestic and medical life.

Some believe that her humanitarian outreach may have beens influenced by a divine presence guiding the development of our great nation. This divine presence is depicted in The Colonial Midwife. A symbolic dove, representing the Holy Spirit, faces the ghostly figure of Blaikley, cradling a newborn baby. The scene unfolds in the Wythe House laundry building and slave quarters located behind the Wythe House on the Palace Green.

Living as a widow for 35 years, Catherine resided in what is now known as the Catherine Blaikley House on Duke of Gloucester Street. She was buried in Bruton Parish Church cemetery, memorial number 8, near the steeple end of the church. A large flat ledger stone with a worn inscription is famous for its epitaph: “’Catherine Blaikley…an imminent Midwife in this City…who brought into this world upwards of three thousand children.”

Key Citations

Digitized Virginia Gazette issues are accessible via the Rockefeller Library’s online portal. Virginia Women: Their Lives and Times includes discussion of midwives like Blaikley. The Virginia Museum of History & Culture may have additional midwifery records.

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16x20 Fine arts print on canvas. Giclee prints are individually printed; purchase requests may take 2 to 3 weeks for delivery.

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Footsteps from the Past prints are available for purchase and viewing at Suzanne's studio by appointment and select Williamsburg 2nd Sundays: May 10th and September 13th. Please email denion.art@gmail.com for more information.