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

A coldish N.W. wind today + a shower between 1 + 2 : otherwise fair. I felt better today + the “seedy” feeling has left. Enjoyed my food. Cycled to Beechwood, Mavisbank, Hospital + Shawpark.¹ Pulled raspberries till stopped by shower. Took pulled strawberries for my little guests tomorrow.² Mrs Hilson³ with her daughter Mrs Senior + Mr Senior⁴ left cards. Enjoyed reading “Catriona”.⁵ Annie Little from Hawkshaw called.⁶ Wrote Helen⁷ enclosing a P.C. [postcard] from Tina Scott.⁸

¹ 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.

² This looks as if it refers to the time Dr Muir was to spend the following day with Alexander Stewart ‘Alec’ Muir (1908-) and his sister May or Mary Muir (for whom no additional information is as yet available), the children of Ernest Muir (1880-1974), MD, FRCS, LLD, CIE, CMG, medical missionary and educator, and Sophie or Sophia Muir née Vartan.

³ Alice P Hilson née Anderson, daughter of Alexander Anderson M.D., and Eliza Anderson née Gillespie, and married to Archibald Hilson.

⁴ Elizabeth Gillespie Hilson (1870-1939), daughter of Alice and Archibald Hilson (above), had married Henry William Richard Senior on 5 November 1892 in Bengal, India.

⁵ Catriona, 1893, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

⁶ Ann Helen ‘Annie’ Little (1894-1968), born Hawkshaw, Kirkhope, Selkirkshire, December 1894, registered January 1895, daughter of John Little, gamekeeper, and Sophia Little née Baker, married 1893 at Jedburgh. Annie was Dr Muir’s servant for 6½ years until early 1918 when she left go to Moffat Hydro Military Hospital as a member of the wartime Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment and awarded a V.A.D. Service Stripe [‘Selkirkshire V.A.D.s.’, the Southern Reporter, 6 April 1922].

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

⁸ Tina Scott is so far unidentified.

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