Another very cold day but with a fair amount of sunshine. Rode my new Singer1 before breakfast down Elmrow to Shawpark2 gate + back, + in forenoon to Moat3, Henhouse4, Mill Street + Hospital. Liked it but the gear handle is not quite as easily manipulated as the B.S.A.5 Wrote Dora6, Agnes Logan7, Fanny McKenzie8 + sent Jean9 Dora’s letters. Went to evening service. Mrs Mack came10 to supper. Had to see Walt. Wilson11 late on as he was vomiting.
1 Dr Muir had ordered a Singer bicycle from Stark & Murray on or after 26 February 1923, see Dr Muir’s diary entry of that date.
2 Shawpark, Selkirk, home of John Dun Boylan (1850-1924), civil engineer, an acquaintance of Dr Muir who was present when Boylan had a heart attack on 11 March 1923.
3 The Moat, near Howden and S.S.W. of Selkirk, grid reference NGR NT458,268.
4 Henhouse is beyond the south end of Haining Loch, Selkirk, grid reference NT469,271.
5 Dr Muir had another Singer up to 1919 but then bought a B.S.A. In his diary for 21 July 1919 Dr Muir noted “Used my new B.S.A. with my red saddle + feel fairly at home.”
6 Andrina Dorothy ‘Dora’ Muir (1882-1978), nurse and Dr Muir’s youngest daughter, had recently starting working at Tanta (طنطا or Ṭanṭa, Egypt), a city on the Nile Delta between Alexandria and Cairo.
7 Assume Agnes McIver Logan (about 1848-1928), daughter of Alexander Stuart Logan (1810-1862), advocate & Sheriff of Forfarshire and Agnes Logan née Greig (about 1813-1891), thus Dr Muir’s cousin.
8 Frances Gordon Ord ‘Fanny’ Mackenzie née Rennie (1864-1948), daughter of the Reverend James Rennie and Catherine Stewart Rennie née Muir.
9 Jane Henderson Logan ‘Jean’ Pike née Muir (1877-1941), Dr Muir’s eldest daughter, widowed and living in Edinburgh.
10 Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk.
11 Dr Muir had been treating Walter Wilson (1888-1923) for a while. A yarn store worker, in the 1921 Census he was recorded, aged 33, at 6 Back Feus with his brothers Robert (1881-) and John (1884-). All three brothers worked for George Roberts & Co. Ltd., tweed manufacturers.
[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 