Fair today W. to N.W. Clear at night. Cycled to Halliday’s Park and Hospital. Gave chlor[oform] to Jas. Renton1 while Dav.2 [did] a Supra pubic cystostomy. He has a large + possibly malignant Prostate. Spent the afternoon making up a speech for the toast of the “Distinguished Guests”3 (viz. Sir John Roberts4, Sir Thomas Henderson5 + Lord Dalkeith6, 7) which I gave at the dinner to the Standard Bearer. There were 130 there with And. Harper8 in the Chair. I sat between Sir Thomas Henderson + Charlie Roberts.9 Came away at 11.
1 It is not as yet possible to identify James Renton.
2 David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., Ch.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner.
3 The Standard Bearers Dinner at Selkirk is held on the Monday of Common Riding week.
4 This must refer to Sir John Roberts (1845-1934), C.M.G., who had been widowed the year before but travelled ‘home’ (he was born in Selkirk) on the White Star Dominion Line’s SS Corinthic, Official Number 115296, from Wellington, New Zealand, arriving Southampton, England on 15 May 1923.
5 Sir Thomas Henderson (1874-1951), woollen manufacturer and Liberal Party. politician. He was a director of Messrs Innes, Henderson and Co. Ltd., hosiery manufacturers of Hawick, and briefly served as Member of Parliament for Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire (1922-1923).
6 Walter John Montagu Douglas Scott (1894-1973), at this time Earl of Dalkeith, and 8th Duke of Buccleuch from 1935. Between war service with the 4th (Territorial) King’s Own Scottish Borderers and his succession as Duke of Buccleuch he was Member of Parliament for Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire (1923-1935).
7 Lord Dalkeith was to take Sir Thomas Henderson’s seat at the United Kingdom general election that same year. On 6 December 1923 at Roxburgh & Selkirk Dalkeith received 11,258 votes (43.1%) to Henderson’s 8,046 (30.8%) with George Dallas in third place with 6,811 (26.1%).
8 Assume Andrew Hampton Harper (1884-1968), grain merchant, of Hillside Terrace, Selkirk. Born Selkirk, he had married, 1917, Lexa Mary Borthwick. In 1920 they had a daughter, Dorothy Haliburton Harper.
9 Assume Charles Henry ‘Charlie’ Roberts (1877-1954), born New Zealand, tweed manufacturer, of Thornfield, 25 Scott’s Place, Selkirk.
[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 