Blaikley-Durfey House and Shop

From 1736 to 1771, this was the home of Catherine Blaikley, a midwife who delivered more than three thousand infants. She was married to a watchmaker and had several children of her own, although most died prior to reaching adulthood, as was common during this era. By the time of Blaikley’s death in 1771, male midwives had begun to replace females in this line of work. This change eventually led to male physicians almost entirely displacing female midwives from the profession. A historical marker was erected on site by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The house and marker will appear on your right when traveling east on West Duke of Gloucester Street.

Born during the late seventeenth century, most likely in York County or in the surrounding area, Catherine Blaikley was an eminent midwife who was reputed to have been present at more than 3,000 births. During the mid-eighteenth century, delivering babies was mostly a female occupation, although some men also worked in the profession. By some accounts, she may have delivered as many as 4,000 infants, which would have included children from various socio-economic backgrounds, white and Black, free and enslaved.

Blaikley began working as a midwife in 1739, three years after the death of her husband William, a watchmaker, in 1736. Following her husband’s death, Catherine inherited a lot in Williamsburg on which was built the original home, now reconstructed, at this site. She also inherited an estate in Henrico County and a mill in Brunswick County. Her home, which she afforded through her profession, reflected a relatively high standard of living for a working woman at the time. Blaikley also rented out rooms, since offering lodging was considered an acceptable economic endeavor for a widow.

Upon her own death in 1771, Blaikley was one of the few women still working in the profession, as many male physicians had begun replacing female midwifes in the late eighteenth century. Adjacent to her home, the tailor Severinus Durfey opened a shop during the 1770s. He produced new clothing and also sold other goods at retail. Importing a wide array of material from outside the colony, Durfey’s shop advertised “West India and dry goods of most sorts.” Along with the Blaikley House, the Durfey Shop was reconstructed by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, with a historical marker erected at the site.

"Catherine Kaidyee Blaikley (ca. 1695–1771)", Encyclopedia Virginia. Accessed February 2nd, 2025. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/blaikley-catherine-kaidyee-ca-1695-1771/.

Cross, Brandon D. "Catherine Blaikley House Historical Marker", Hmdb. June 29th, 2023. Accessed February 2nd, 2025. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=227159.

Cross, Brandon. "Durfey Shop —Reconstructed", Hmdb. June 27th, 2023. Accessed February 2nd, 2025. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=226930.

De Pauw, Linda Grant. Founding Mothers: Women of America in the Revolutionary Era. Boston, Massachusetts. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1975.