Lovely bright morning: fine all day but cloudy in afternoon. Very mild. After seeing a few town cases I left in Swift1 with Helen2 + Winifred3: called at at Faldonside with medicine for Mrs Maycock4 + went on to Bemersyde, Old Smailholm, Mellowlees5 to Hume Castle where we lunched: then to Rowchester6, Lamden, Mersington, Leitholm, Swinton, Ladykirk, Norham + home by Cornhill, Coldstream + Kelso. It was a delightful run + we all enjoyed it. The good old Swift with 4 aboard went without a hitch.
1 The Swift Motor Company made Swift Cars in Coventry; it is not clear which model Dr Muir owned of this small motor manufacturer’s many products but it had been the ‘workhorse’ car for the practice since Dr Muir had acquired it some time before August 1914 [Source: ‘Swift Models 1901-1931’, http://www.theswiftclub.co.uk%5D]
2 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper
3 Margaret Winifred Armitage (1874-1970), daughter of William Armitage, cotton merchant, and Margaret Petrie Armitage; her sister Dorothy had married Francis ‘Frank’ Muir (1877-1972), electrical engineer, son of the Reverend Gavin Struthers ‘Guy’ Muir Dr Muir’s brother, and thus Dr Muir’s nephew
4 Catherine Maycock née Gow (1874-1959), wife of George James Maycock (1877-1957), butler, later poultry farmer, at this time living at Lower Faldonside, Galashiels – see diary entry for 14th October 1921 for more detail
5 Mellowlees Bridge, Smailholm, crosses the Eden Water south of Mellerstain Mill at grid reference NT6533,3793
6 The party travelled from Smailholm via Hume Castle, NT704,413, Rowchester, NT733,438, Lambden, NT744,430, Mersington, NT777,445, Leitholm, NT791,441, Swinton, NT836,474, Ladykirk, NT888,475 and Norham, NT898,472, before returning along the River Tweed
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/24, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1921]
Rumbling Clint's Scottish Notes 