You’ve seen the habits, the bicycles, and the endless cups of tea. If you’re a fan of Call the Midwife, you probably find the mix of 1950s grit and heartfelt sisterhood pretty addictive. But there’s always that nagging question when a TV show claims to be "based on a true story." Did it actually happen like that? More importantly, what did the real-life women—the ones who actually wore the habits and delivered babies in the London slums—think of their fictional counterparts?
Usually, when Hollywood or the BBC gets a hold of a true story, the subjects end up cringing. They see their lives polished into something unrecognizable. That wasn't the case here. The real-life sisters of the Community of St. John the Divine, the Anglican order that inspired the show, didn't just tolerate the series. They championed it.
The Reality Behind Nonnatus House
The show is famously based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth. In the books and the series, the order is called the Sisters of St. Raymond Nonnatus. In reality, they were the Sisters of St. John the Divine. Founded in 1848, these women weren't just "nuns who did a bit of nursing." They were highly trained medical professionals who pioneered community midwifery in one of the most impoverished corners of the world.
Sister Edith Sheekey, one of the last surviving sisters who worked in the East End during the era depicted in the show, was vocal about her approval. She didn't find the drama exaggerated. If anything, she felt it captured the specific, quiet dignity of their mission. For these women, the "call" wasn't just a religious one; it was a grueling, 24-hour-a-day medical commitment.
One of the biggest wins for the show, according to the real sisters, was the portrayal of their relationship with the secular nurses. You see this in the bond between characters like Trixie and Sister Julienne. It wasn't a "us versus them" dynamic. The real sisters worked hand-in-hand with young, often terrified, secular midwives who were dropped into a world of outside toilets and tenement housing.
Accuracy Beyond the Habit
It’s easy to get the costumes right. It’s much harder to get the spirit right. The real sisters praised the show for its "warts and all" approach to the East End. While some locals occasionally grumbled that the show made Poplar look a bit too dirty, the sisters knew the truth. They saw the bedbugs. They saw the effects of the workhouse system. They saw the "dark night of the soul" that Sister Monica Joan often talks about.
The real-life inspiration for Sister Monica Joan was a woman of immense intellect and complexity. The show’s decision to portray her not just as a "kooky old lady" but as a pioneering academic who was losing her grip on the present resonated deeply with the order. They appreciated that the show didn't sanitize aging or dementia.
Specific details the real sisters loved included:
- The constant presence of the bicycles (their primary mode of transport).
- The "strict but kind" mentorship style of the senior sisters.
- The depiction of faith as a practical tool rather than just a set of rules.
The Only Real Criticism
No adaptation is perfect. While the real sisters and the East Enders who remember them gave the show a massive thumbs up, there were minor gripes. Some residents of Poplar felt the early seasons leaned a bit too hard into the "squalor" aesthetic. They were poor, yes, but they were proud. They scrubbed their doorsteps until they shone.
Jean Whitelock, a local who actually had two of her children delivered by the sisters in the 60s, noted that the real nuns looked "exactly like what they show you on the telly." She recalled them being an integral part of the community fabric. They weren't distant figures in a convent; they were the people who stayed by your side when your baby wasn't breathing, or when you had to turn off a family member's life support.
Why Their Praise Matters
We live in an era of "prestige TV" where everything has to be dark, gritty, and cynical to be taken seriously. Call the Midwife takes the opposite track. It’s unashamedly sentimental. Usually, that’s a recipe for a "fake" show.
But when the people who lived that life—the women who actually biked through the London smog to deliver babies by candlelight—say the show got it right, it changes how you watch it. It’s not just a cozy Sunday night drama. It’s a record of a vanished world.
The Community of St. John the Divine eventually moved out of Poplar as the East End changed and the NHS took over more of the heavy lifting. But their legacy stayed. If you want to honor the real history, don't just watch the show. Look into the history of the Community of St. John the Divine. They’re still active today, focusing on pastoral care and retreats.
The next time you see Sister Julienne offer a comforting word, remember that it’s not just a script. It’s a reflection of a real woman who probably did the exact same thing sixty years ago in a house that didn't have running water.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Read Jennifer Worth’s original trilogy: Call the Midwife, Shadows of the Workhouse, and Farewell to the East End. The books are much darker than the show.
- Visit the Museum of London Docklands to see their exhibits on the post-war East End to get a sense of the actual geography of Poplar.
- Support modern community midwifery programs, as the "call" hasn't stopped; it has just evolved.
