22 January 1922 diary of Dr John Stewart Muir (1845-1938) of Selkirk

Freezing again + after the slush of yesterday walking was ticklish work. It was a sunny dry day however. I was knocked up by a ‘Phone from ‘Bridgend¹ asking me, as they couldn’t get D.,² to let him know there was a confint. at Brockhill³. So I had to walk to Mauldsheugh⁴ + rouse him. He had forgotten to switch the ‘phone to his room. Baptie⁵ was round + shovelled away some snow but I wouldn’t let him drive and hired to Nest + Peelburnfoot, Cannon Street [?] + Ett’haugh Road. Saw some town cases after lunch. D. had a confi’t at Kirkhope⁶ + a M.C.⁷ at Riddell + then attended Mrs W Park⁸ at night. I supped at Wellwood⁹. Jack¹⁰ goes to London tonight + Nancy¹¹ tomorrow.

¹ Ettrickbridgend, presumably the nearest source of a telephone

² David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner

³ Assume Christina Helen Turnbull, born 5 a.m. on 22 January 1922 at Brockhill, Kirkhope, the daughter of Francis Turnbull, drystone builder, and Mary Helen Turnbull née Mutch who had married 25 September 1921 at Ellon, Aberdeenshire

⁴ Mauldsheugh, erroneously transcribed as Mauldshaugh in ScotlandsPeople, the home of Dr David Charteris and Norah Campion Graham and also, it seems, the surgery of the Muir & Graham medical practice [1921 Valuation Roll, VR007900012-/220, Selkirk Burgh, page 220 of 644]

⁵ Thomas Baptie (1860-1929), driver and handyman for Dr Muir

⁶ Dr Muir’s diary is not very clear but this may refer to Christina Turnbull (above) or to Betty Olive Grant Johnston, born 1 p.m. on 22 January 1922 at Kirkhope Cottages, Kirkhope, the daughter of Sandilands Johnston, gardener, and Janet Brown McVittie who had married 28 November 1918 at Edinburgh

⁷ The Editor has never been able to identify definitively the meaning of M.C.

⁸ Mrs Park was May Turnbull Park née Moffat (1883-1969), wife of William Park, grocer, Tenant Occupier of a shop at 75 Buccleuch Road, Selkirk and living at a house and garden ‘Glenesk’, The Glebe, Selkirk; they had married at Scott’s Place, 1 August 1912

⁹ Wellwood, Ettrick Terrace, Selkirk, home of Jack and Nancy Roberts and their children, collectively known to Dr Muir as The Wellwooders

¹⁰ John Roberts junior ‘Jack’ (1876-1966), mill owner, sometime Provost of Selkirk and Dr Muir’s son-in-law

¹¹ Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter and Jack Roberts’ wife

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]