8 June 1921 diary of Dr John Stewart Muir (1845-1938) of Selkirk

Glass had fallen a lot + it began to rain about 9.30 + continued steadily + gently until 3 or 4: a fine soaking rain which will do a world of good. So I had to take the car, after being at Dunreay + Viewfield + Faldonside + up by Lindean Heights to Lilliesleaf where I put poroplastic splints¹ on Mrs Elliot². Helen³ had the McCall kids⁴ to tea with Peter⁵. Davidson⁶ of Kelso, driving a palatial Armstrong Siddeley⁷, called + had tea. He was bringing up the matron of the Cottage Hospital to see her sister Nurse [illegible]⁸ at Viewfield.

¹ Poroplastic splints were made of cotton and wool felt with a cement of shellac or other resin and had the advantages of being light, economic and porous

² As any student of Roxburghshire would know there are numerous Elliots in Lilliesleaf and it is thus impossible to identify Mrs Elliot

³ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper

⁴ The Reverend James George McCall (1234-1234), rector of St John’s Episcopal Church, was widowed in 1917 when Mabel Lovat Armstrong died in childbirth leaving children Mabel Mona (1911-), John Grice Armstrong (1913-), Alan George (1914-) and Arthur James (1916-).

⁵ Peter Allan is not identified

⁶ Samuel Davidson (1871-1958), M.D., of Kelso

⁷ This would have been Armstrong Siddeley’s first car, a huge six cylinder five litre 30-hp vehicle, see illustration below

⁸ Not identified