Elizabeth Nihell

Born in 1723, she became known as an English midwife, writer, and polemicist at a time when childbirth was increasingly being claimed by male practitioners. She is best remembered for A Treatise on the Art of Midwifery (1760), a work that argued strongly for the skill and importance of female midwives.

Her writing stands out for its direct, combative voice. Rather than quietly accepting the medical fashions of her day, she openly criticized the growing influence of men in midwifery and defended the knowledge that women had built through practice and experience.

Although not as widely known now as some of her contemporaries, her work remains valuable to readers interested in the history of childbirth, women's writing, and the struggle for professional authority in the 18th century. She died in 1776.