Knocked up at 4 a.m. for Mrs James Henderson, Dunsdale who had a daughter (breech) about 5.30.1 Did some work at wages after getting home. Saw town cases walking in forenoon. Dunsdale, Bob Brown, Heatherlie2 (incipient lunacy) + Hospital + had to see Mrs Steele, Backrow3 (who had attempted suicide by taking carbolic acid) to certify for asylum. After lunch drove to Riddell, Lilliesleaf + Newhouse. + at 7 was called by Mrs Smith, Fairnilea4 (about Roberts’ ? formerly with Steele5) who had a S. [son] about 11.6 Was at work from 4 a.m. on 17th to 1 a.m. 18th.
1 Janet Fleming Henderson born 17 March 1904 at 20 Dunsdale Road, Selkirk, the daughter of James Henderson, tweed finisher, and Susan Henderson nee Purdie. Her parents had married in 1896 at Selkirk.
2 Bob, presumably Robert, Brown is so far unidentified.
3 Marget [sic] Steele, aged 36, was recorded at Back Row, Selkirk, in the 1901 Census, with her husband Thomas Steele, 46, woollen spinner, and children Margaret, 9, George, 8, Maria, 6, Mary A, 4, and William, 2 months. There is something odd about this though because the births of the children, all recorded as born Selkirk, are not documented under that name.
4 This appears to refer to Smith at Elibank not Fairnilea, in which case Mrs Smith was Florence May Smith née [?] Wimble, wife of Joseph x Smith.
5 Presumably the Strang Steele family at Philiphaugh.
6 The birth is not recorded in the Statutory Births (at least not within a reasonable time of the 17 March) so the Editor can only assume it was not a live birth.
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/7, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1904]
Rumbling Clint's Scottish Notes 