Martha Ballard was a midwife, healer, and diarist who lived in colonial Maine in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.–world history and facts


Martha Ballard was a midwife, healer, and diarist who lived in colonial Maine in the late 18th and early 19th centuries–world history and facts


Her diary, which covers a period of 27 years, provides a rare and valuable window into the daily life, medical practices, and social customs of the time.

Martha Ballard was born in 1735 and lived in Hallowell, Maine, which was a remote frontier town at the time. Despite the lack of formal medical training, she became a respected and skilled midwife, who was often called upon to attend births in her community.

 Over the course of her career, she recorded information about each birth she attended, including the mother's name, the date of the birth, and any difficulties or complications that arose. Her diary provides an important record of the challenges faced by families on the frontier and the role of midwifery in colonial society.

Martha Ballard was not only a midwife but also a healer and a valuable member of her community. Her diary provides insight into her daily life, including her work as a midwife, her involvement in the community, and her relationships with her family and friends. 

She was a wife, mother, and grandmother, and her diary reflects her deep commitment to her family and her community.

A remarkable figure in colonial Maine, known for her diary and her work as a midwife. 

Her diary provides a unique and valuable window into daily life, medical practices, and midwifery in the late colonial era, and it is an important resource for anyone interested in the history of health and medicine. 

Her life and her diary offer a glimpse into the daily struggles and triumphs of a woman who lived on the frontier, and who dedicated herself to helping others.


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