A dull day with a little rain but mild. Called for Mrs Paterson1 : Mrs R Robertson,2 John Bell,3 John Brydon4 + vaccinated Alexr Harper’s child.5 Cycled to Shawpark.6 Made all preparations for leaving home + spent the afternoon packing. A big leather trunk of Jack’s7 held all I wanted. David8 came up in the evening + we fixed up the Income Tax return. Put up Communion Cards for Baptie9 to deliver. Motored to Gala + caught the 10:50 for London. We had corner seats reserved (Helen + I) . From Hawick we had only one fellow traveller + from Kettering we were alone. Helen slept well + I got some sleep. On the whole it was a comfortable journey.
1 Mrs Paterson is as yet unidentified.
2 Mrs Robertson is as yet unidentified (there were six men named R Robertson in Selkirk in the 1921 Census).
3 This is probably John Bell (1859-1940) of Linglie (Dr Muir had attended the family previously) who was recorded in the 1921 Census living with his sisters Helen (1864-1937), Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ (1866-1937), Caroline Jamieson (1870-1934) and Williamina ‘Mina’ (1875-1937). They were the children of John Bell, woollen pattern or tweed designer, and Joan Bell née Scott, married June 1857 at Galashiels.
4 Assume John Brydon (about 1867-), joiner, lived at the Free Library Buildings, Selkirk with his wife Mary Brydon née Grieve (about 1875-) and daughter Mary Davidson Brydon (1907-) [1921 Census], see also Dr Muir’s diary for 25 March 1923.
5 Assume Helen Muir Harper, born 17 April 1923, the daughter of Alexander Harper, woollen millworker, and Esther Harper née Ramsay, of 31 Kirk Wynd, Selkirk.
6 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.
7 John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior (1876-1966), Dr Muir’s son-in-law.
8 David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., Ch.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner.
9 Thomas Baptie (1860-1929), driver and handyman for Dr Muir.
[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 