2 July 1923 diary of Dr John Stewart Muir (1845-1938) of Selkirk

Rose at 4.30 dressed : packed my bicycle bag : had some tea + bread + butter + expected Jack¹ at 5.30. When he didn’t appear I ‘Phoned + learned that as there was some mist on the hills + slight rain he wasn’t going to motor! As a matter of fact it turned out quite a good day : dull, sunless + to the cool side but quite dry. So I read Agnes Logan’s book about Aunt Marion till breakfast.² Of course I had less to do + made only 10 calls including Lauriston³ + Shawpark⁴ Got divies [dividends] from B.A.U. + Teleph. Manufact G⁵, also quarter’s cheque from N.H.I.⁶ Helen⁷ supped at Viewfield.⁸

¹ John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior (1876-1966), Dr Muir’s son-in-law.

² The Editor cannot identify the book but assumes that it is privately printed. The author must be Agnes McIver Logan (about 1848-1928), daughter of Alexander Stuart Logan and Agnes Logan née Greig, thus Dr Muir’s cousin. Her subject is presumably Marion Stewart McClure née Logan (1822-1916), the younger sister of Dr Muir’s mother.

³ Lauriston, Heatherlie, Selkirk, home of the Smith family.

⁴ Dr Muir had been attending Shawpark, Selkirk from time to time to see John Dun Boylan (1850-1924), a civil engineer, who had a heart attack on 11 March 1923.

⁵ The dividends are presumably for one of the various companies called Buenos Ayers or Aires and quite possibly for the Automatic Telephone Manufacturing Company (later absorbed by Plessey). Dr Muir also held shares at this time in companies named Esparto Paper Mills Company (mentioned 3 April 1923), Bahia Blanca, Allen & Hanbury (pharma) and B. A. West.

⁶ The Editor assumes that the quarter’s cheque from “N.H.I.” was Dr Muir’s fees under the National Health Insurance Act 1920.

⁷ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.

⁸ Viewfield Nursing Home. Presumably Helen was enjoying the company of the (female) nursing staff.

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