Wire from Willie Muir1 that Jas. Wallace2 died this morning. Wrote Mary3 + asked her to wire me about the funeral. Cycled to Hospital, Spion Kop4, Ettrick + Tweed Mills + at 2.30 got message to Weatherstone5, Jessie Boyd’s6 gardener. Tried to catch Dav.7 at Oakendean but he had left, so cycled down. It was a nice day + dry. Made all preparations for an early start with Nancy8 to Kirknewton for Cheviot. Made sandwiches +c for Baptie9 + self : but the glass was falling + the wind went round to E. Set my alarm for 5.30. David agreed to my conditions viz that my share doesn’t fall below [blank] : that I get whatever I save by cycling & £ for his bicycle10.
1 William Edward ‘Willie’ Muir (1872-1948), son of Francis Muir (1839-1912), Dr Muir’s brother; in 1922 he is noted as of Rowallan, Haslemere, Surrey
2 James Wallace (about 1841-1922), Dr Muir’s brother-in-law, married Mary Jane Muir, 25 September 1866, at 15 North Fort Street, North Leith [her home], at which time he was a wool salesman, of Charlotte Place, Edinburgh; at the time of his death they were at Scotstoun(e), Haslemere, died 5 July 1922 [Probate] Sep Quarter 1922 [July] Wallace, James, aged 81, Hambledon (Surrey) 2a 162 and buried 8 July at Haslemere
3 Mary Jane Wallace née Muir (1836-1933), daughter of Francis Muir, presbyterian minister, and Jane Muir née Logan, sister of John Stewart Muir and wife of James Wallace
4 Spion Kop, Selkirk, where Dr Muir had been attending Mrs Margaret Kemp née Gibson (about 1858-1935), recorded as a “Special worker at work parties” when awards were made at the Victoria Hall of war service medals, see diary entry for 30 March 1922. Allegedly born Thornilee, Roxburgh, she lived at Spion Kop with four grown-up children Janet, Robert, James and John, all of whom worked in the textile industry, Janet for Edward Gardiner and the men for Gibson & Lumgair [1921 Census].
5 Weatherstone is unidentified though it may be possible to do so when the 1921 Census is published later this year
6 Jessie Milne Brack Boyd (1867-1961), of Faldonside, plantswoman and gardener
7 David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner
8 Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter
9 Thomas Baptie (1860-1929), driver and handyman for Dr Muir
10 Dr Muir’s terms suggest that he was negotiating from a position of some weakness and if the Editor has read the last section correctly as meaning that David has been borrowing a bicycle off Dr Muir than by asking for a contribution Dr Muir is indeed clutching at straws
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]
Rumbling Clint's Scottish Notes 