Clear frosty day + quite dry N.W. sharp wind. Saw a town list of 7 walking. Helen1 had letter from Mrs Mack2 who is living in the Central Station Hotel3 with a crowd of politicians.4 Nancy5 + Helen walked to Bluecairn.6 I wrote Guy7, Mary8, Miss Taylor (formerly Mount Benger + now Tongland9) + accepted invitation from Prov. Mathieson10 to opening of War Memorial Hall at Innerleithen.11
1 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.
2 Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk.
3 It is not clear why Mrs Mackintosh would have been staying at the Central Station Hotel unless it was to support her son Erskine Harper (1887-1953) who was chosen as the National Liberal candidate for the Gorbals Division of Glasgow.
4 The Poll held on Wednesday 15 November 1922 elected George Buchanan (Labour) with 16,478 votes (54.5%), with James Erskine Harper (National Liberal) second with 8,276 (27.4%) and John Maclean (Independent Communist) third with 4,027 (13.3%).
5 Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter.
6 Bluecairn, Bowhill, Selkirk.
7 The Reverend Gavin Struthers ‘Guy’ Muir (1846-1927), Dr Muir’s brother.
8 Mary Jane Wallace née Muir (1836-1933), one of Dr Muir’s sisters.
9 Miss Jessie Taylor (fl.1921), teacher, of Mountbenger School, Yarrow, and tenant at the schoolhouse, Mountbenger, 1921 and later at Tongland, Kirkcudbright [1921 Valuation Roll, VR011700009-/340, Selkirk County, page 340 of 611].
10 Probably Robert Mathieson (1861-1941), druggist and Provost of Innerleithen for forty years, born New Machar, Aberdeenshire, he had two shops, at High Street and Waverley Road, an aerated water factory at Chapel Street and a house and garden St Serf’s, 2 Buccleuch Street, all Innerleithen; however though he may have been an antiquarian of sorts he was not related to and should not, as Ted McKie notes, be confused with, Robert Mathison (1832-1891), master builder, antiquarian and builder of The Glen [sources: 1921 Valuation Roll, VR011200022-/169, Peebles County, page 169 of 255; 1911 Census 762/1 2/ 14, page 14 of 31; 1941 Statutory registers Deaths, 762/1 10; Past Innerleithen: Robert Mathison].
11 The War Memorial Hall, Leithen Road, Innerleithen, Canmore ID 299249, grid reference NGR NT33218,36861, originally acquired by Innerleithen Burgh Council by donation from Henry Ballantyne in 1919 “for the behoof of the community of the said Burgh” … “for the purposes of a Town Hall and other Buildings as a Memorial for those who have fallen in the War.” [source: Scottish Borders Council, Common Good Property, Innerleithen].
[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 