Name Catherine Blaikley | ||
Catherine Kaidyee Blaikley (born ca. 1695, died 1771) was an 18th century American landowner and midwife, best known for claims that she had delivered over 3,000 children.
Biography
Blaikley was born in around 1695 to William and Martha Kaidyee, in York County, Virginia. She married her husband William Blaikley on September 11, 1718 and the two had at least five children together. The family enjoyed a modest living and upon William's death around 1736 his estate was inventoried as containing several looking glasses, pictures, and other luxuries. The Blaikleys also owned several slaves.
It is unknown exactly when Blaikley began working as a midwife but historian Linda Sturz has stated that it was likely around three years after the death of her husband. Economic opportunities for women were limited during this time period, but widwifery was considered to be an appropriate occupation, as was offering lodging, which Blaikley also did.
Blaikley died in October 1771 and was buried in the cemetery at Bruton Parish Church. An obituary ran in one of the newspapers of the day and described her as an "eminent midwife". In the 1950s Colonial Williamsburg built a reconstruction of Blaikley's home.