2 December 1921 diary of Dr John Stewart Muir (1845-1938) of Selkirk

Cold East wind but not as strong as yesterday: dull sunless: dry. Saw some cases walking + then cycled to Kilncroft, Hospital + Upper Faldonside. Jessie Boyd¹ from home. Saw Cath Duff² with patella bursitis. Saw Mrs Heard’s child³, Castle Street, yesterday + today + got a note from Heard to say they had sent for Hiddleston⁴ + wrote + declined further attendance. Helen⁵ + Bessie⁶ motored to Jedburgh with Nancy⁷ + came back for the latter to call at Benrig⁸ (the Sandersons⁹ are friends of the McMillans¹⁰) + then to Town Faldonside¹¹ where they had tea.

¹ Jessie Milne Brack Boyd (1867-1961), of Faldonside, plantswoman and gardener

² Cath. or Kath. Duff was house tablemaid at Faldonside

³ Mrs Heard’s child refers to Janet Louisa Heard (born 1921), daughter of Walter Heard and May Heard née Avery of 45 Castle Street, Selkirk [birth, 1921, 778/ 40, Selkirk; 1920 Valuation Roll]

⁴ John Murray Hiddleston (1891-1954), L.R.C.P.S., L.R.F.P.S., medical practitioner

⁵ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper

⁶ Assume Elizabeth Maud ‘Bessie’ Patrick (1881-1945), daughter of Christina Robertson ‘Tina’ Patrick née Rodger (about 1846-1924) and David Patrick, solicitor, of Hamilton

⁷ Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter

⁸ Benrig, St Boswells, Roxburghshire

⁹ Sanderson is not identified

¹⁰ McMillan is not identified in Roxburghshire but the Editor speculates that the MacMillans are the family at Kirkhope that included Hugh MacMillan (about 1842-1930), Minister of Kirkhope, Emily Jane Mitchell, his wife and their son Hugh Agnew Macmillan (1890-1950), M.C., M.D. Edin., medical practitioner, born Kirkhope but in general practice at Methil, Fife after the First World War

¹¹ The Editor cannot find any reference to Town Faldonside – and Dr Muir has not used the term Town Faldonside in his diaries since 1914 – but assumes that Dr Muir is referring to either Faldonside, grid reference NGR NT502,328 or to Upper Faldonside, NT509,328 (though Dr Muir does consistently refer to the latter as “Upper” – including elsewhere in this entry)

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/24, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1921]