Following on from last week’s blog by Maggie about the changing role of midwives during the 1914-24 period here she looks at the lives of two midwives of the period.
Kelly’s directories found in the Library of Birmingham covering the period we are examining gives listings of all the Midwives who were permitted to practice in Birmingham year by year and can be used with the information on the Central Midwives Register and other genealogical records to trace the lives and career of some of these women who often remained in practice in Birmingham for many years.
Firstly a quick look at one of the old school – Hannah ARMISHAW.
The Central Midwives Register provides name and address of the women but also details when the midwife was enrolled on the register – and also the qualification they held. And other genealogical sources such as the 1911 Census can give us information about age and family circumstances.
The CMB Register for 1915 shows Hannah living at 77 Victoria Road Harborne and gives us the additional information that she was first registered in 24 November 1904 and her qualification was that she had been in practice prior to July 1901. The symbol before her name means that she had indicated to the Board that she intended to practice during 1915. Further searches in the annual Registers show that she was listed from 1905 until 1926.
From the 1911 census we can find Hannah Armishaw living with her husband William Illsley Armishaw, an Army Pensioner. Hannah was 61 years old – and according to the CMB Registers was to practise for a further 15 years until the age of 76! The census enumerator has added in red ink the word ‘Certificated’ next to her self-recorded occupation of midwife. The census also reveals that she was no stranger to childbirth herself having given birth to fourteen children of whom 12 were still living. Three of her daughters were still living at home – all working in the chocolate business (no doubt at nearby Cadbury factory at Bournville).
We have been lucky to discover that a descendant of Hannah ARMISHAW has posted this wonderful family image of the ARMISHAW family online – and very pleased to have been granted permission to use it. It is one of the only images we have found locally of a midwife in uniform.
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In contrast, Lizzie Keeping was one of the new breed of qualified midwives.
Unlike Hannah Lizzie was not a local girl and appears to have moved in pursuit of her career. She was born in Reading in 1866 and the 1901 census shows her working as a staff nurse at Brentford Union Workhouse Infirmary Isleworth Middlesex. She was on the UK and Ireland Nursing Register from 1902 registration number 295.
Lizzie obtained her midwife qualification from the London Obstetrical Society in July 1903 and enrolled on the Midwives Roll on 24/11/1904 registration number 9472 whilst working at Lambeth Workhouse Infirmary.
Sometime prior to 1910 she moved to Birmingham – to Mary Street, Balsall Heath and practised from that address for a quarter of a century.
The 1911 census shows her living at 262 Mary Street Balsall Heath Birmingham with her occupation listed as trained nurse and midwife. Also in the house were her sister in law and children and also listed as Joint head of the household a Clare Bement, described as Trained Nurse & Midwife acting as Inspector of Midwives at City Health Department. Both of these women lived together on Mary Street until Clare’s death in 1938 and appear to have been working as midwives till this date. Both would have been in their late 60s.
Following Clare’s death Lizzie Keeping left Balsall Heath and retired to Devon – to Whitpot Mill, Kingskerswell, where she died aged 76 on 27/01/1942 leaving effects worth £1825.
Maggie Brownlie
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