24 March 1923 diary of Dr John Stewart Muir (1845-1938) of Selkirk

Weather the same fine hazy [illegible] Wind round to N.W. Saw 3 cases + then cycled with Nancy¹ to Blawearie to see the hounds which met at Harden.² Came on them at Borthwickbrae + followed to Roberton. They found at Borthwickshiels but there was no scent. They came slowly back to Borthwickbrae where we left them. I left Nancy at Ashkirk + went up by the Manse + Woll Rigg.³ Jack was out on “Plus Four”.⁴ After tea walked down to Mill Street + took John Bell the gut I got from Allan in Glasgow.⁵ It is not really gut but some silk material. Got Div. of 6/8 in the £ of Napier’s account⁶ of which I got 3. 6. 0. + M + G. 4. 12. 6.⁷

¹ Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter.

² Blawearie, grid reference NGR NT441,166 (very close to Esdaile Law and at 322 metres the high point on the road between Ashkirk and Roberton), Harden, NT449,148, Borthwickbrae, NT412,135, Roberton, NT429,143 and Borthwickshiels, NT436,155.

³ Dr Muir has headed up to the Cross Borders Drove Road past the Manse, grid reference NGR NT465,219, and headed on past Woll Rigg, NT455,226. Nancy has presumably gone straight ahead to the Ashkirk road end.

⁴ The Editor takes this to be a reference to John Stewart ‘Jock’ Roberts (1904-1950), Dr Muir’s son-in-law being out on his motorbike, see Dr Muir’s diary entry for 30 August 1922.

⁵ John Bell, warper, was a tenant of a house at Mill Street, Selkirk but the rest of this sentence is obscure.

⁶ Dr Muir had previously completed an affidavit in front of David Carnegie Alexander (1856-1928), solicitor in connection with Lord Napier’s Sequestration, see Dr Muir’s diary entry for 29 January 1923.

⁷ In pre-decimal currency six shillings and eight pence (6s 8d) was exactly one third of a pound (£1). Dr Muir and the Muir & Graham medical co-partnery therefore had debts with Lord Napier of £9 18 shillings and £13 17 shillings and 6 pence respectively.

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