Hard frost + heavy rime on slates. Bright sunshine + quite calm. A fine winter day. Walked down to Hospital immediately after breakfast. Child Heard1 i.s.q.2 very critical. Came back to Rosemount3, Castle Street + High Street. Went to morning service with Helen4 + Bessie5. Tabulated town accounts + put up some of them for distribution. Walked to Castle Street + Hospital at night + supped at Wellwood6. Mr Duffus7 + Mr McAndrew8 (a McEdward [?]) Lawson’s9 assistant there.
1 Janet Louisa Heard (1921-), daughter of Walter Heard, general labourer, and May Heard née Avery, was extremely ill with Diphtheria; the implication here is that she was at the Infectious Diseases Hospital by this time though Dr Muir had previously been seeing her at home at Castle Street, Selkirk
2 Medical abbreviation In Status Quo or no change
3 James Kirkpatrick, wool agent, was Proprietor Occupier at Rosemount, 30 Hillside Terrace, Selkirk, [1921 Valuation Roll, VR007900012-/141, Selkirk Burgh, page 141 of 644]
4 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s housekeeper and third daughter
5 Assume Elizabeth Maud ‘Bessie’ Patrick (1881-1945), daughter of Christina Robertson ‘Tina’ Patrick née Rodger and David Patrick, solicitor, of Hamilton
6 Wellwood, Ettrick Terrace, Selkirk, home of John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior and Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir and their children Andrina Barbara Henderson ‘Barbara’ Roberts, later Thwigg, John Stewart ‘Jock’ Roberts, Louisa Jane Roberts, later Rutherford, Stewart Muir ‘Little Stewart’ Roberts and George Edward ‘Tim’ Roberts
7 Mr McAndrew has not been identified.
8 Mr Duffus has not been identified but Dr Muir’s diary entry for 27 November 1921 notes that he is from Aberdeen
9 The Reverend George Lawson (1859-1937), M.A. Church of Scotland minister, at Selkirk c.1902 to c.1930, and of The Manse, West Port [1921 Valuation Rolls VR007900012-/105, Selkirk Burgh, page 105 of 644]; born Kintore, Aberdeenshire, married, 1890, St Nicholas, Aberdeenshire, Annie Strahan Black, also born Aberdeenshire, he died 1937 at Morningside, Edinburgh [birth, 1859, 213/ 44, Kintore, Aberdeen; marriage, 1890, 168/1 69, St Nicholas, Aberdeenshire; death; 1937, 685/7 1012, Morningside]
[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 