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A Midwife’s Tale
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Character List
Martha Moore Ballard -
A Hallowell midwife and the protagonist of A Midwife’s
Tale. A reserved woman, Martha deeply values her own autonomy and
avoids passing judgment on others. However, she is very firm in her own opinions
and finds ways of making her displeasure known when she or someone she likes is
slighted. Though Martha rarely says so explicity, her actions show that she
loves her family and has a comfortable, mutually helpful marriage with Ephraim.
Martha takes her duties as a nurse and midwife very seriously, giving help to
anyone who needs it, no matter what their position in society or her own life
situation. Deeply religious, Martha is aware of God’s power and influence in her
life even when she doesn’t attend meetings. Like all women, Martha occasionally
feels very tired and sorry for herself, and during these times, the diary serves
as an outlet for the feelings she can’t share with her family.
Ephraim Ballard -
Martha’s husband. A surveyor for most of his life, Ephraim is a
well-respected man who holds several positions of authority and trust within the
community. Ephraim is calm and independent and generally lets Martha have full
authority over her duties and whereabouts. He angers Martha only when he feels
she is complaining too much about the help. Finally sick of being attacked,
Ephraim quits his surveying job and becomes a tax collector. Though the job
leads him to being jailed for debt, Ephraim seems to see his confinement almost
as a period of relaxation. When he is home, however, Ephraim is a great help
around the house and generally a good friend to Martha.
Cyrus Ballard -
Martha’s oldest son. Quiet and unmarried, Cyrus follows miller jobs
wherever they become available and moves in and out of his parents’ house until
he is in his early forties. Having developed powerful shoulders through his
years of re-chiseling mill stones, Cyrus is a great help to Martha whenever he
is in town. Though no mention of it is made in the diary, Ulrich theorizes that
Cyrus had great difficulty achieving independence due to some sort of mental
impairment.
Jonathan Ballard -
Martha’s middle son. Jonathan is brash and drinks too much, and his
fits of temper are a source of contention between him and Martha for much of her
life. On more than one occasion, Martha records fights that Jonathan has
instigated with neighbors, and though the rest of the family learns to accept
these brawls, Martha’s descriptions indicate that she remains opposed to his
behavior. Despite his temper, Jonathan is very aware of his responsibilities. He
marries Sally when she gives birth to his child, and he makes sure his mother is
taken care of even if it isn’t in the way she might have wanted. Ephraim’s
declared heir, Jonathan has occasional problems with debt but works hard to
raise the fortunes of himself and his children.
Hannah Ballard Pollard -
One of Martha’s daughters. A quiet, dutiful girl who masters all of
the domestic skills necessary to set up a good household of her own, Hannah is
the only daughter living at home during the course of the diary who isn’t
mentioned in conjunction with directly helping with her mother’s nursing duties.
After her marriage to Moses Pollard, Hannah’s focus seems to be on her own
large family. Still, Hannah’s birth so close to the death of her
sisters may have led to a special relationship between her and
Martha, as she is the only child listed at Martha’s bedside in the diary’s final
entry.
Dolly Ballard Lambard -
Martha’s youngest daughter. The only daughter to develop a specific
career of her own, Dolly trains and begins working as a dressmaker for a period
of time before her marriage to Barnabas Lambard. Dolly is a hard, uncomplaining
worker, and she assists her mother during her midwiving and nursing duties,
though she is not always sympathetic enough to Martha’s needs. Dolly is left in
charge of Martha’s papers after she dies, and she passes the diary on to her
daughters.
Parthenia Barton Pitts -
One of Martha’s nieces. Sent by her mother, Dorothy Barton, to live
with Martha as a teenager, Parthenia likes the arrangement so well that she
stays with Martha until she marries Shubael Pitts and sets up a household of her
own. A patient, uncomplaining worker, Parthenia assists Martha both through
housework and by watching patients when Martha can’t do so herself. Baptized
during her final illness, Martha commends the niece she thinks of as a daughter
on her patience and Christian meekness. Parthenia dies at a young
age.
Sally Pierce Ballard -
Jonathan’s wife and Martha’s daughter-in-law. A strong woman who
knows what she wants, Sally has no trouble claiming Jonathan as the father of
her daughter and pressuring him until he agrees to marry her. This strength of
will gives both her and Martha considerable difficulty when they live under the
same roof, each fighting to be mistress of the same space. Though she often
complains of Martha’s inflexibility, the entries suggest that she behaves
similarly when living as a widow under her own son’s roof. Sally cares very much
for her sister Hitty and occasionally fulfills nursing needs in the
neighborhood.
Captain James Purrinton -
Martha’s neighbor, who murders his family before committing suicide.
Sober, industrious, taciturn James is a respected member of the local militia,
and, before the murders, Martha bakes for James and often trades goods with the
rest of the family. Early historians have theorized that James diverts from his
original plan to only commit suicide because he needs to control his family’s
future. A Universalist, he believes that everyone will be saved regardless of
their actions.
Rev. Isaac Foster -
A local preacher who Martha likes. Somewhat more radical in his
religious beliefs than many town leaders, Foster is given to suing his enemies
and is eventually dismissed from his position. Looking for work out of town at
the time, Foster seems able to do little to defend his wife’s safety or
reputation from the abuse of town leaders. Eventually, he and his family are
forced to flee Hallowell in disgrace and debt. The same traits that brought him
and Rebecca such trouble in Hallowell also get them chased out of several other
towns. Eventually, they find a town that accepts their
eccentricities.
Henry Sewell -
Another Hallowell diarist often quoted by Ulrich. Martha’s neighbor
and occasional employer, Sewell is very conservative in his religious beliefs
and is a major force behind driving the Fosters out of town. Sewell is highly
patriotic and attuned to ceremony, and he disapproves of any activity that even
hints of scandal. In his diary, he offers a very male perspective of the
time—that is, he seems completely oblivious to the daily rhythms of life going
on around him. Even the birth of one of his children is recorded only in
Martha’s diary, not in his.
Judge Joseph North -
Martha’s neighbor who is accused of rape. A well-respected member of
the community, North seems to feel sympathy for the woman he is accused of
attacking. He is acquitted of Rebecca Foster’s rape charges and seems to suffer
no lasting effects on his career. Martha and her family, however, never forgive
him, and her daughters go out of their way to have someone else officiate at
their weddings.
Dr. Benjamin Page -
A Hallowell physician who sometimes works with Martha. Page is intent
on developing an obstetrics practice rather than arriving during emergencies
like most physicians, and Martha thinks him bumbling enough to record more than
one of his mistakes for posterity. His skill improves with experience, however,
and during the years when Martha delivers fewer babies, he is one of the main
people whom the expectant mothers request.
Mary Hobart -
Martha’s great-great-granddaughter, who inherited the diary. A
practicing physician in the late 1800s, Mary is one of the first women allowed
into the once exclusively male Massachusetts Medical Society. Mary cherishes
Martha’s diary, admiring her great-grandmother’s skill and professionalism and
feeling a deep kinship with her. She donates the diary to the Maine State
Library to keep it safe and give others greater accessibility to it. Though
highly disappointed by the deletions in the incomplete transcript they give her
in return, Mary is gracious enough to thank the library for their
efforts.
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