The Midwife's Tale (36 page)

I have, of course, taken a few liberties with the historical Bridget—this is a novel, after all. The historical Bridget had better luck with her children, with two daughters still living at the time of her death. One of these (named Bridget, naturally) received two hundred pounds as well as, “my coral necklace and bracelets, my large ring with two and twenty stones in it … and also a sealed ring of gold with my late husband’s coat of arms and my own engraven on the same.” Bridget’s other daughter (or her husband) seems to have been as profligate as Phineas, for Bridget left her entire branch of the family just over ten pounds, “in regard they have been chargeable unto me in an extraordinary measure.” (There are also tantalizing rumors of two sons hanged as highwaymen, but I could find no evidence to support this claim.)

I have done my best to portray Bridget’s work as a midwife as accurately as possible. The techniques she used to bring forth a child or strengthen an infant who was born weak are described in contemporary midwifery manuals. I also have done my best to capture the sociability inherent in early modern childbirth, when a mother was attended by her friends and neighbors.

For more on the historical Bridget Hodgson and the history of midwifery, visit my Web site at
http://www.samthomasbooks.com
.

About the Author

Sam Thomas teaches history at University School near Cleveland, Ohio. He has received research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Newberry Library, and the British Academy. He has published academic articles on topics ranging from early modern Britain to colonial Africa. Thomas lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio, with his wife and two children.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously.

THE MIDWIFE’S TALE.
Copyright © 2012 by Samuel Thomas. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.stmartins.com

Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein

Cover photograph of woman © John Foley/Arcangel Images

Cover photograph of table © Irina Ptaxa

e-ISBN 9781250010773

First Edition: January 2013