Mother of the Village

My 9th great-grandmother, Elizabeth Newgate Oliver Jackson, was known in Newton, Massachusetts as the “mother of the village.” For fifty years, she was said to have been present at every birth in town. Imagine the generations she ushered into the world—a baby, then their child, then their child— all in the same family, no doubt including her own family.

When Elizabeth began her work around 1650, Newton was still a small settlement with fewer than ten births per year. But as the population grew, so did her duties. By the end of her career, she had likely delivered hundreds of babies, establishing herself as one of the most trusted figures in town.

Why did she do it?

Midwifery was one of the best-paying professions available to women in the 1600s, and many midwives relied on it for income. But Elizabeth didn’t need the money—she came from one of the wealthiest families in Newton. Her choice to serve as a midwife must have been driven by something deeper: a true calling to help others. 

Already respected because of her family’s standing, her role as a midwife only strengthened her influence in the community. If she lived today, she would almost certainly have been an obstetrician.

A Day in the Life of a 1600s Midwife

Picture Elizabeth awakened in the middle of a winter’s night by the urgent knock of a neighbor. She gathers her bag—cloths, herbs, perhaps a vial of oil—and sets off through the dark, snow crunching beneath her shoes. Arriving at a modest wooden home lit by a single candle, she joins the women already gathered: the expectant mother, her female family members, maybe a neighbor or two, all keeping warm by the huge fireplace. 

Elizabeth’s role is both practical and spiritual. She soothes the mother with prayers, offers sips of warm broth, rubs her back during contractions, and knows just when to encourage pushing. If complications arise, she draws on years of experience and remedies passed down from older women. Hours later, when the first cries of a newborn are heard, Elizabeth swaddles the baby and places it in its mother’s arms, the exhausted family rejoicing. Then she stays to check on the mother, advise on recovery, and plans to come back soon. 

This scene was repeated hundreds of times throughout Elizabeth’s life. To her neighbors, she was more than a midwife—she was a guide through the most important days of their lives and a sharer in their joys or sorrows. 

And for that, they remembered her with love as the “mother of the village.”

Family member name: Elizabeth Newgate Oliver Jackson
Years of life: 1617-1709

Places lived: England; Newton, Massachusetts

Tree branch: Pearson
Relation: My 9th great-grandmother (my dad's dad's mom's mom's mom's dad's mom's moms mom's dad's mom)

Sources:

NewtonMA.gov website LINK

The Jacksons and Their Homestead LINK

A Midwife's Tale - 1998 PBS Documentary LINK