6 August 1923 diary of Dr John Stewart Muir (1845-1938) of Selkirk

Nice warm sunny forenoon. Some rain at 5 + dull evening: calm. No County work. Cycled to Heatherlie Park¹, Broomfield², Hospital +c. Sent Nurse McIntosh³ from Viewfield to Hospital⁴ with a suspicion of measles. Finished my list by 1 o’clock but was called out first for old Mrs Moran⁵ + then for Mr Ross.⁶

¹ There is a James Smith, barber, at Heatherlie Park, Selkirk in the 1923 Valuation Roll but the Editor has not been able to match him to anyone in the 1921 Census.

² Dr Muir had previously attended Broomhill, Selkirk, the home of Walter Smith and his family (see Dr Muir’s diary entry for 5 August 1923).

³ Nurse McIntosh had measles (see Dr Muir’s diary entry for 5 August 1923). She is so far unidentified. Nobody of that surname and occupation was recorded at Selkirk in the 1921 Census.

⁴ Measles would have been a concern, which explains why on 5 August 1923 Dr Muir tried to call his co-partner Dr Graham who was away on military businees and on 6 August moved the case from the private nursing home (Viewfield) to the public hospital.

⁵ Assume Ann Gibbons née Morran, sometimes Moran, Morraine or similar (about 1851-1939) – though Dr Muir called her Mrs Gibbons in his 15 May 1923 diary – who was recorded in the 1921 Census living at Backfeus, Selkirk, with her husband John Gibbons (about 1844-1932) and four children David (1881-), Agnes (1889-), John (1890-) and Jean or Jane (1893-). John Gibbons senior was from County Mayo, Ireland and he and Ann had married 29 June 1869 at Galashiels and appear to have had other children (by 1923 presumably living elsewhere – searches suggest that there is no reason to think any of them had died) including Mary (1870-), Bridget (1872-), Helen (1874-), Agnes (1887-), Catherine ‘Kate’ (1878-), Margaret ‘Maggie’ (1883-), Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ (1885-) and Sarah (1889-)..

⁶ Mr Ross is unidentified.

¹ Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk.

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