Called at 4 a.m. for Mrs Alex Harper, Kirkwynd + found the child born.1 She had some flooding. Went back to bed + was late for breakfast. Cycled to Hospital + called for Jack2 without knowing that Graham3 had been attending him. Cycled to Haremoss + Woll Flush (Thos. Jack4). It was a fine day fairly sunny but the usual S.E. wind. There was some hoar frost first in the morning. Helen5 was at Lilliesleaf. Barbara6 called. They are all going to a ball at Hawick.
1 Helen Muir Harper, born 17 April 1923 at 31 Kirk Wynd, Selkirk, daughter of Alexander Harper, woollen millworker, and Esther Harper nee Ramsay, married 8 March 1912.
2 Assume John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior (1876-1966), mill owner and Dr Muir’s son-in-law.
3 David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., Ch.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner. Dr Muir must have been very irritated by events to have described his co-partner by his surname.
4 Thomas Jack, labourer, was tenant occupier not rated at a house at the Floss, Woll, Ashkirk [1922 Valuation Roll, VR011700009-/355, Selkirk County, page 355 of 605]. A flush is “A piece of boggy ground, esp. one where water frequently lies on the surface, a swampy place, a pool of water in a field … Found in place-names. Deriv. floshan, -in (Gall. 1825 Jam.), -en, a large shallow puddle (Kcb.4 1900).“ [Dictionar o the Scots Leid]. The Editor assumes that the philological root of flush and floss is the same but this does not appear to be confirmed in any readily accessible sources.
5 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.
6 Andrina Henderson ‘Barbara’ Roberts, later Twhigg (1902-1996), Dr Muir’s eldest grandchild, returned from New Zealand.
[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 