29 January 1923 diary of Dr John Stewart Muir (1845-1938) of Selkirk

Winter aconite¹ in full bloom and snow drops out round the Rowan Tree

Delicious day with some showers but quite fresh. Very mild dull calm. Began to drizzle after midday + continued till evening. Did a list of 11 walking + motored cycled to Whitmuir.² Got the first of the drizzle coming back. Mrs Neil all right. Paid accounts in afternoon. Before D.C.A.³ as Notary I filled an affidavit in connection with Napier’s Sequestration.⁴ Romanes + Munro⁵ intimate an early dividend. Had to go to Nether Whitlaw⁶ for Dav.⁷ at 5.45. He is kept a lot at Bowhill with the illness of the Duke’s boy.⁸

¹ Eranthis hyemalis is Winter Aconite, also commonly known as Winter Hellebore.

² Dr Muir had been attending Christina Neil née Scott of Whitmuir who had given birth to a daughter on 16 January 1923.

³ David Carnegie Alexander, ‘Carnegie Alexander’ or ‘D.C.A.’ (1856-1928), solicitor. The son of David Carnegie Alexander (about 1820-1881), solicitor, and Margaret Scott Alexander née Anderson, he married 1899, Edinburgh, Jane Florence Turnbull [1899, 685/2 181, St Andrew (Edinburgh)], and died 30 Jan 1928, aged 71, at Heatherliehill, Selkirk, usual residence Thirladean, Selkirk.

⁴ The Editor cannot find a reference to a Sequestration involving Napier in 1922 or 1923.

⁵ The partnership of Messrs Charles S Romanes, C.A. and Charles J Munro, C.A. had been formed in 1884. Sometime of 46 Hanover Street and 50 Frederick Street, Edinburgh the firm acquired a reputation for insolvency work [source: Walker, S 2018, ‘War and organizational disruption in professional service firms’, Journal of Professions and Organization, vol. 5, joy008, pp. 206-229. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpo/joy008%5D.

⁶ Nether Whitlaw, Lindean area, Galashiels, grid reference NGR NT513,296, where John Millar was tenant occupier of the farm and house, 1923 Valuation Roll VR011700009-/422, Selkirk County, page 422 of 605.

⁷ David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., Ch.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner.

⁸ David was attending Lord George Francis John Montagu Douglas Scott (1911-1999), youngest child of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch (see also diary entry for 1 February 2023).

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]