1.30 this morning1. It was a fine mild, moonlight night. Other members of the party2 were Sandy Steel3, Tina S.4, Mary Benzies5, Miss Hastie6 (violinist), Miss Anderson7 (accompanist), [two words deleted], Alex Reekie8 + Nell9. This was a lovely bright almost warm day: duller in afternoon + just a sensation of rain. David10 shooting at Fairnilea: after seeing town cases I cycled via Kirklea11 to Riddell, Lilliesleaf + Midlem Mill: Saw the hounds at Middles12. The meet was at Ashkirk + H. + N.13 cycled over.
1 The first part of this entry appear to complete the penultimate sentence of the previous entry “Did not get home ‘till.”
2 The concert was in aid of the Innerleithen Jubilee Nursing Endowment Fund (see also diary entry for 9 December 1921)
3 Alexander Steele (about 1867-), powerloom tuner, sometime of Curror Street, Selkirk, the only Alexander or Sandy Steel(e) recorded in either the 1911 or 1921 Census returns [Southern Reporter, 15 December 1921; [Selkirk, 1911, 778/6/6, page 6 of 32 and Selkirk, 1921, 778/ 6/ 6, page 6 of 22].
4 Tina S is not identified but it would be reasonable to assume that there is a family connection to both Sandy Steele and Jessie Given (about 1904-) who was a niece of his, born in Idaho, America but recorded at Curror Street, Selkirk in the 1911 and 1921 Census returns [Selkirk, 1911, 778/6/6, page 6 of 32 and Selkirk, 1921, 778/ 6/ 6, page 6 of 22]. Jessie Given was recorded by the Southern as performing at the Innerleithen event [Southern Reporter, 15 December 1921].
5 Mary Benzies is difficult to identify with certainty though the family of James Benzies, grocer, of Selkirk was recorded in the 1911 Census and included two Marys, mother and daughter; since she is described as Miss in the Southern she must be the latter [Southern Reporter, 15 December 1921]
6 Presumably Miss Grace Hastie (about 1891-), tweed darner, who was recorded at Cannon Street, Selkirk, 1911 Census [Southern Reporter, 15 December 1921; Selkirk, 1911, 778/ 11/ 4, page 4 of 21]
7 Miss Anderson is not noted in the report published in the Southern Reporter, 15 December 1921
8 Alexander ‘Alex’ Reekie (1879-1951), son of Christopher Reekie (about 1852-1916), music teacher, and Mary Reekie née Moyes (about 1865-?), married 1877, Selkirk and brother of Christopher ‘Chris’ Reekie (1892-1986), a celebrated Selkirk musician who in spite of emigrating was a long-standing part of Selkirk’s Common Riding; the family was living at 20 Market Place, Selkirk in 1911 [Census 778/ 1/ 6, Page 6 of 15; Southern Reporter, 15 December 1921]
9 Assume Ellen Margaret ‘Nell’ Turner, later Reekie (1892-1971); she was to marry Alexander ‘Alex’ Reekie in 1927 at Selkirk [sources: birth, 1892, 781/ 14, Ashkirk; marriage, Reekie and Turner, 1927, 778/ 4, Selkirk; death, 1971, 683/ 86, Dalkeith]
10 David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner
11 Kirklea was the home of William Henry ‘W H’ or ‘Will’ Ogilvie (1869-1963), poet, author, journalist and one of Australia’s great Bush poets, and his family
12 Middles, Lilliesleaf, grid reference centred on NGR NT537,246
13 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper and Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter
[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 