Fair today. Was able to cycle round the town + to Yair where there was a message to see Mrs Ormiston.1 On getting home found ’phone from Ettrick to Mrs Anderson, Braidgairhill.2 Motored there about 23 miles. Found Mrs A pretty bad with acute appendicitis. There was no other woman in the house so I advised her to come to the Home3 Had difficulty in getting a car as they were all engaged for a party at Levenlea4 Mrs Anderson got down about 10.30 + Dav.5 operated. I got rather faint during the operation but was able to hold on. It was 1.30 before I got home. Helen6 went to the Whist drive at Levenlea with Jack + Nancy.7
1 Bessie Ormiston née Kennedy, birth registered as Betsy Ballantyne Easton (1880-) at Riccalton, Oxnam, daughter of Helen Easton, domestic servant. Bessie married 17 December 1910 at Ashkirk, Selkirk, Samuel Ormiston junior (1881-), farmer at Yair Farm, Caddonfoot, born Jedburgh [1911 Census, 774/A 2/ 6, Caddonfoot, Selkirk].
2 It has proved impossible to identify any Mrs Anderson, Braidgairhill or Broadgairhill, south west of Over Kirkhope, Ettrick but it may be that Dr Muir meant Mary Laidlaw Davidson née Dalgleish (about 1862-1923), wife of John Davidson, shepherd, of Braidgairhill, Ettrick.
3 The Home refers to Viewfield Nursing Home, Selkirk, the Muir and Graham medical co-partnership’s property.
4 The Harrison family was at Levenlea, Selkirk (Leavenlea in 1921 Census) around this time. The family comprised John Harrison junior (1886-1981), tweed manufacturer, Beatrice Annie de Fraine (1884-1962) whom John had married in 1917 at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and a daughter Beatrice de Fraine Harrison (1920-1998), born Selkirk.
5 David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., Ch.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner.
6 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.
7 John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior (1876-1966) and Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter.
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]
Rumbling Clint's Scottish Notes 