List of Call the Midwife characters
The following is a list of characters from Call the Midwife, a British television period-drama series shown on BBC One since 2012.
Cast
Characters
Sister Julienne
Sister Julienne, the sister-in-charge of Nonnatus House, manages both her charges and fellow sisters with a combination of tact, compassion, and no-nonsense advice. Her steadfast, compassionate guidance makes her an anchor for her colleagues, and the centre of organisation, offering comfort and help to the young midwives. She has a notably close, warm and maternal relationship with Sister Bernadette, serving as her chief mentor and confidante. Beginning with Series 4, it becomes clear that the weight of always having to be "the wise one" takes a heavier toll on her than many would guess, and she is increasingly shown leaning on Shelagh for counsel and support; nevertheless, her faith is not shaken and she remains a serene, guiding presence for all of Nonnatus House. Her pre-order name was Louise.In Series 6, after her return from Africa, Sister Julienne becomes deputy sister-in-charge to Sister Ursula. Sister Ursula leaves in the third episode, and Sister Julienne becomes sister-in-charge again.
In Series 11, Sister Julienne was involved in a train crash. She suffered broken ribs and was suspected to have had a heart attack in the aftermath, but further testing confirmed it was only shock.
Sister Monica Joan
One of the UK's earliest registered nurses, and the last surviving founder of Nonnatus House, Sister Monica Joan retired from practice prior to the events of the series. She is suffering from the early stages of dementia as well as being frail in body. Desperate to be of service and feel useful, she is given make-work tasks to keep her occupied, such as rolling bandages. Sister Julienne expresses that it is now their privilege to care for her.It is never entirely clear how much of Sister Monica Joan's eccentricity is due to the frailty of age, or sheer willful naughtiness. She has a habit of devouring all the sweets at Nonnatus House, leading everyone to try to hide them from her. She also knits woollen teddy bears and casts her horoscope in the stars and planets in order to tell her future. It is evident that Sister Monica Joan is well-educated and well-read, as she frequently quotes a wide range of authors from Greek philosophers and Freud, to Keats and Shakespeare. She treasures her personal collection of books, even as her eyesight begins to fail.
In the final episode of Series 1, after recovering from pneumonia, she is arrested for stealing trinkets from the market: some ribbons, a handkerchief, a china robin and several other things. Later, she is suspected of stealing a ring, a bracelet and a pearl necklace, which were discovered by Jenny Lee. Sister Monica Joan then went to hide them in her knitting bag and they were found by Sister Evangelina and Sister Julienne, who called the police. Sister Monica Joan is then put on trial, and Mother Jesu Emanuel testifies that Sister Monica Joan inherited those items from her mother and no crime was committed. In light of Monica Joan's age and moments of forgetfulness, she is acquitted of the trinket thefts.
In Series 2, she reconciles with her nephew and his family, fears that she is useless, spends a lot of money on taxis to see her nephew, much to the chagrin of Sister Julienne, recovers from angina, escapes a holiday with Sister Evangelina to Chichester, judges a baby show, and pays for a child's funeral. Sister Monica Joan is very close to and gets on well with Jenny. In the 2015 Christmas special, she runs away from the convent after an argument with Sister Evangelina, returning to her childhood home with the belief that everyone should go back to their home, prompted by Barbara's comment that she was not allowed back to Liverpool for Christmas. She returns just in time for their appearance on the BBC.
In Series 12, Sister Monica Joan assisted at the maternity home during a gastroenteritis outbreak despite concerns about her age. She insisted her age and wisdom are beneficial, not a complication.
While Nancy Corrigan was working at Nonnatus House, her daughter Colette grew close to Sister Monica Joan. When painting a picture of someone inspirational, Colette found that Sister Monica Joan is hiding a dog called "Nothing".
Beatrix "Trixie" Aylward (née Franklin)
Trixie has a much more outgoing disposition than Jenny, but the two share the sense of adventure in their work and become firm friends. Trixie loves nothing more than gossiping with her colleagues and is quite nosey when it comes to other people's business.She occasionally comes across as a bit rude, but she means no harm by it. When it comes to her friends, she takes great pleasure in teasing them about what is going on in their lives. She is caring but no-nonsense to her patients and is encouraging at hopeless times. She is light and carefree, jokes a lot, tries to set her colleagues up with boys and is generally a little boy-mad. Nevertheless, it is clear that work is first in her life, until Curate Tom Hereward proposes to her and she accepts. But their engagement breaks down when Trixie discovers that Tom has a placement in a slum in Newcastle, an industrial city in North East England. This makes her turn even more to alcohol for comfort, but after struggling with alcoholism, with Cynthia's help, she joins a support group. She has shared a room with many of the other midwives including Jenny Lee, Patsy Mount and Valerie Dyer.
Trixie's acceptance of male homosexuality is decades ahead of her time. Prior to the events of the series, she happily served as cover for a gay medical student, providing him the appearance of propriety. Her disgust of a young father arrested in a cottaging sting was entirely the result of his infidelity; with whom he cheated was immaterial to her.
Discovering that Barbara is going out with Tom gave her quite a shock and she finds it very difficult to accept, but after a talk with Tom and Barbara she finally accepts that she can no longer hold on to Tom and must let him go. She becomes very close to Patsy, Delia, Barbara and Sister Mary Cynthia.
In January 1962, while seconded to a clinic in Africa and dozens of miles from a physician, Trixie becomes the only one of the midwives—lay or nuns—to have performed a Cesarean section. She returns to Poplar a few months later as she stays on at the clinic returning via the Mother House, when it is realised that Sister Mary Cynthia has gone missing.
Later in 1962, she meets dentist Christopher Dockerill. When a turn of events leads to them delivering a baby, they grow close. She later suspects that she is being cheated on by Dockerill, but learns that he actually has a child from a prior marriage, which he had not previously disclosed. She forgives him because he was scared to tell her, fearing he would be rejected. After a difficult situation involving a family, Trixie breaks up with Christopher expressing concern of the effect on his daughter. Trixie takes another extended leave after relapsing into alcoholism.
She returns to Poplar and continues to work with in the community, she is involved in several cases around abortion and is present when Valerie is called to her grandmother's pub. Trixie continues to fight for Nonnatus House and the community of Poplar.
Trixie is seconded to the Lady Emily Clinic where she meets Fiona and Matthew Aylward. She assists in the birth of their son, Johnathan. However, Fiona later returns to the clinic and it is revealed she has terminal cancer and she soon dies. Matthew eventually turns out to be the owner of many properties in Poplar and offers to become a beneficiary to Nonnatus House in memory of his late wife, allowing their services to continue. Trixie and Matthew become close friends due to their shared experience with Fiona and this continues to grow, blossoming into romance and eventually marriage in 1968. When nursing she goes by the name Beatrix "Trixie" Aylward, rather than her official title Beatrix, Lady Aylward.
After Matthew suffered financial hardship, he moved to New York. This led to Trixie splitting her time between Poplar and New York. In December 1970, Trixie is promoted to nursing sister when Sister Julienne, Shelagh and Phyllis were sent to Hong Kong and it was announced she would return to Poplar in the autumn of 1971.
Shelagh Turner (née Mannion)
Sister Bernadette, as she is first known, is Scottish and in her early 30s, the closest in age to Jenny and the other lay midwives. She is the most educated of the nuns and tutors the other nurses whilst providing administrative assistance to Sister Julienne, sometimes covering as her deputy. She joined the order in July 1948. A consummate professional, she has a fresh, uncomplicated approach to her work that means she connects well with Jenny and her other colleagues. In one episode, she is shown to remove her wimple, take her hair down and take off her glasses, expressing her hidden desire to be free.In Series 2, it becomes clear that Sister Bernadette is lonely and unhappy, questioning whether the convent is her calling. She wishes to do what the other young midwives of her age are doing: going out to the cinema, dancing, and experiencing life as young women. One scene shows Sister Bernadette looking in on the midwives' room while they are drinking and gossiping, but then the door closes; it is a life that cannot be open to her while she remains a nun. In another, Sister Monica Joan points out that she spends most of her time praying for forgiveness. Sister Bernadette eventually breaks down and turns to Sister Julienne for help, confessing that what she really wants is a family and children of her own. As of the 2012 Christmas Special and from Series 2 onward, it becomes clear that Sister Bernadette has fallen in love with the local physician, Dr Turner.
After recovering from a short bout with tuberculosis, Sister Bernadette leaves the convent and reverts to her birth name of Shelagh. However, she still remains close to her faith, joining the Nuns at compline. She becomes engaged to Dr Turner, who has also fallen in love with her. They marry in the 2013 Christmas Special and she becomes stepmother to his 11-year-old son Timothy. After a struggle with infertility, they adopted a baby girl called Angela. In Series 4, it becomes clear Shelagh desperately misses nursing and midwifery, so she returns to full-time work at the surgery and maternity home, first as a medical secretary, and then also as the sister-in-charge at the surgery after Dr Turner is taken ill. She is now the medical sister-in-charge at the surgery and works alongside the other midwives and nuns at the surgery, but does not perform house calls. When at the clinic or being the acting sister-in-charge at Nonnatus House in Sister Julienne's absence, Shelagh dons smart civilian dress, rather than uniform of the order's other lay nurses, although she eventually obtained a uniform to wear when serving in a nursing capacity at Dr Turner's surgery.
Shelagh also feels guilty after thalidomide is prescribed for women in Poplar who are suffering from morning sickness. When it is linked to with birth deformities of the kind observed in recent months, she says she is as guilty as Patrick because she supported the drug being prescribed.
In Series 6, Shelagh is overcome with joy when she falls pregnant with her first biological child. However, she suffers complications and is taken ill during an inspection of the maternity home. Fearing a miscarriage, she is rushed to hospital, forcing nurses Barbara and Phyllis to take over the running of the surgery. This puts her pregnancy in jeopardy, even after being released from hospital. In preparation for the arrival of their third child, the Turners move from their flat to a new house. She gives birth to a son with the help of Sister Julienne in the series finale.
Shelagh's return to work at the surgery leads to the Turners hiring Magda as an au pair. However, Madga finds she is pregnant and steals from Nonnatus to induce an abortion. Following this, Madga leaves for Paris to study to be a nurse.
In Series 8, Shelagh and Patrick foster a young Chinese girl named May Tang, after her adoption is delayed due to the prospective father's illness. When the prospective father's illness relapses, the foster placement becomes long-term. In Series 9, the Turners look to adopt May but it is disrupted by May's birth mother, Esther Tang. Instead, Esther allows Patrick and Shelagh to be her guardians but not her legal parents. In Series 11, May injures her foot on a playground, which Esther attempts to use as grounds to have May removed from the Turners. May's adoption is finally finalised in Series 14.
In Series 12, Shelagh thought that she might be pregnant again. She felt conflicted about it as previously Shelagh and Patrick had been desperate for a child, but Shelagh did not feel she had the capacity for another child. By the end of the episode, she got her period and said the pregnancy test she took would either return negative, or if it were positive, it wouldn’t be anymore.