Author: rumblingclint

Fine forenoon. Heavy dew: possibly on the verge of frost. Rain came on about 4. Cycled to South Port, Beechbank + Elmrow + then motored taking Tom [Alexander] down Forest Road, Yarrowford, Cannon Street, Faldonside, Bemersyde Hill, Merton Bridge + St Boswells, getting back at 2. We went to Wellwood for tea. Mrs Geo. Roberts¹ there. Saw Jack’s horses after².

¹ Sarah Elizabeth Roberts née Sclater (1860-), widow of George Roberts (c.1842-1910), tweed manufacturer

² Horses of John Roberts junior, Dr Muir’s son-in-law

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Saw a few town cases + cycled down to Faldonside getting back in time to meet Charlie Boucher¹ + his wife (Martha²) at the 12 train + ran them up to Newark + back by Colin’s Bridge. After lunch Charlie + I walked to the Gala Rigg + they left at 6. Martha is a very bright little Colleen. Charlie I would hardly have known. It was a nice day though rather hazy. Tom + I dined at Whitmuirhall. It was a very clear cold night.

¹ Charles James ‘Charlie’ Boucher (1877-1947), distantly related to Dr Muir and his locum in 1902, born Belfast, he was a medical student in Snaith and Cowick, Yorkshire, West Riding in 1901 and returned to Ireland before 1915, to general practice at Donaghcloney, Co. Down

² Boucher had married Martha Louise Denison in 1911 at Belfast

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Heavy dew. Dull forenoon. Some rain in afternoon + evening. Cycled to Yarrowford (Mrs Reid¹), Cannon Street + Faldonside. Miss Dees² improving but still some fever. Saw some town cases after tea. D. [Graham] at Borthwickbrae³ + then to Yarrowford + Old Lewinshopehope⁴ [sic]. Tom Alexander⁵ came back from Kirklea⁶. Looked in at Wellwood on my way back from Faldonside + saw Jack⁷ + the boys who returned from Troon yesterday.

¹ Walter Reid was the “tenant occupier” of a house and garden at Cannon Street, Selkirk, 1920 Valuation Roll

² Phyllis Mary ‘Fiff’ Dees (1899-1920) was <i>in status quo</i> having had suffered a head injury in a car accident 24 August 1920; she was the daughter of Robert Irwin Dees (1872-1923) and Edith Mary Boileau Dees née Henderson, the new (1920) tenants at Faldonside

³ Robert Scott Noble was the “proprietor occupier” of the mansion house etc at Borthwickbrae, Roberton, 1920 Valuation Roll

⁴ James Tait was the “inhabitant occupier” of Lewenshope Hope [sometimes Lewinshope], Yarrow, grid reference NGR NT368,318 circa 1920 [1919 and 1921 Valuation Rolls, 1920 not available]

⁵ Not identified

⁶ Kirklea, Ashkirk, home of William Henry ‘W H’ or ‘Will’ Ogilvie (1869-1963), poet, author, journalist and one of Australia’s great Bush poets, and Katherine Margaret ‘Madge’ Ogilvie née Scott Anderson (1879-1965)

⁷ John Roberts junior ‘Jack’ (1876-1966), mill owner and Provost of Selkirk; his boys were John ‘Jock’ Roberts (1904-1950), Stewart Muir Roberts (1908-2003) and George Edward ‘Tim’ Roberts (1911-2005)

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Dull morning followed by a delightful day. Sunny + with a light N.W. wind. Cycled via Knowepark &c + Forest Mill to Faldonside. Miss D. i.s.q. sleeping better + less drowsy¹. The Lemons² left this morning. Went on to Gattonside Bridge + up the road to East Housebyres thinking it would take me above Gattonside but I found it went down to the village³. Turned up another lane + got some lovely Barberries⁴. Came home by Boleside. Helen [Muir] called at Broomhill⁵. Charlie Boucher⁶ ‘Phoned from Edinburgh + I asked him out on Wednesday.

¹ Phyllis Mary ‘Fiff’ Dees (1899-1920) was in status quo having had suffered a head injury in a car accident 24 August 1920; she was the daughter of Robert Irwin Dees (1872-1923) and Edith Mary Boileau Dees née Henderson, the new (1920) tenants at Faldonside

² The engagement of Hugh Raymond Lemon (1899-1956), R.E. and Phyllis Dees, was announced in The Scotsman, 10 September 1920; he eventually married, Sep Quarter 1925, Anne Sybil Hudson at St. George Hanover Square Registration District [1a 1094]

³ Easter Housebyres, grid reference NGR NT537,371; it is not obvious what happened to Dr Muir here

⁴ Berberis vulgaris, common barberry or European barberry, its fruit is edible but very tart

⁵ It is not obvious whom Helen was visiting

⁶ Charles James ‘Charlie’ Boucher (1877-1947), locum to Dr Muir in 1902, born Belfast, was a medical student in Snaith and Cowick, Yorkshire, West Riding in 1901 and returned to Ireland before 1915, to general practice at Donaghcloney, Co. Down, marriage and eventually death; Boucher’s aunt with whom he was living in 1901 was Jane Shearburn née Auld, daughter of Charles Auld of Greenock and Isabella Auld née Logan, sister of Jane Logan, Dr Muir’s mother, making Dr Muir and Jane Shearburn first cousins, their shared grandparents being The Reverend James Logan and Catherine Stewart

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Weather much the same : raining in the [illegible word]. Very dull. We had 2 cases of tonsils + adenoids at Hospital + 2 kids of Jack Brown. Then David motored me to Faldonside¹. D. could not find any cause for continued temp. I am trying Aconite² to lessen force of circulation + thus end the throbbing headache. Had little or nothing to do all afternoon + went to evening service. Dav., Isa³ + Mrs Mackintosh⁴ came to supper, the latter as usual contributing a bottle of Port!

¹ To see Phyllis Mary ‘Fiff’ Dees (1899-1920) who had suffered a head injury in a car accident 24 August 1920; she was the daughter of Robert Irwin Dees (1872-1923) and Edith Mary Boileau Dees née Henderson, the new (1920) tenants at Faldonside

² Aconite, aconitum or wolf’s bane a traditional Chinese medicine was also used in mainstream Western medicine into the 20th Century but is now restricted to homeopathy and potions made by Harry Potter

³ Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk, whose home was known by Dr Muir as ‘the Magic Cave’ on a count of her generosity

⁴ Isobel Anderson ‘Isa’ Graham, later Coffey (c.1896-1947), daughter of the Reverend Dr John Anderson Graham (1861-1942), founder of Dr Graham’s Homes, Kalimpong, West Bengal and served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1931, and Katherine Graham née McConachie (d.1919) and sister of David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham; she married, 1924, Plymouth, Devon, Thomas Malo Coffey, C.I.E., Indian Forest Service [Marriages Dec 1924 Coffey, Thomas M and Graham, Isobel A, Plymouth 5b 650]; subsequently she appears on a passenger list for S.S. Naldera, Yokohama to Plymouth, July 1937, when from Bombay [Mumbai] with two of her three children, and she is noted as of “Blackford, Cornwood, Devon” and on a passenger list for S.S. Gurna, October 1946, travelling Middlesbrough to Calcutta [sic], she is noted as of “Waterslade, Highwood, Ringwood, Hants., aged 50; Isobel died 25 Mar 1947 at Kolkata, West Bengal

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

A dull day with strongish S.W. wind: dust flying in the town. Some pretty heavy rain in afternoon. Flower show going on. Nancy¹ again selling flowers in Market Place. Except Faldonside I had almost nothing to do. Helped Dav. at Viewfield when he removed adenoids from his sister Isa² + curretted a woman Keddie³ who used to be at Lindean Mill. Had a surprise visit from Frank Muir⁴ with a relative Sir Philip Armitage⁵. Their motor had broken down at Hexham + they came on here by rail en route for Tibbie’s⁶. They had tea + then left in a hire.

¹ Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter

² Isobel Anderson ‘Isa’ Graham, later Coffey (c.1896-1947), sister of Dr David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham

³ Not identified

⁴ Francis ‘Frank’ Muir (1877-1972), electrical engineer, married Dorothy Armitage, September Quarter 1909, at Bucklow Registration District [Lancashire / Cheshire] 8a 427

⁵ The Editor assumes that this refers to Philip Melland Armitage (1881-1927) a cousin of Frank Muir’s wife Dorothy Armitage (1873-1943) their fathers being brothers; there appears to be no evidence that he was knighted

⁶ Presumably Tibbie Shiels, Yarrow

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Cold dry day. N.W. wind: some sunshine: clear: Dora left this morning for her new post, Miss Webb¹, Priestfield Road, Edinburgh + Tom Alexander² went to Kirklea³ in the afternoon. Baptie⁴ took him in the motor. I cycled to Faldonside after seeing 4 town cases. Found Miss Dees⁵ much the same but temp. a little up + went down at night again. T. 101.8 but no bad symptoms. Her engagement to Hugh Lemon⁶ was announced in today’s Scotsman’s [sic]? Dav. [Graham, Co-partner] attended Mrs Hope⁷, Kilsyke this morning + went to Peel⁸ for tennis.

¹ Stephen Webb, [commercial] traveller, was at 11 Priestfield Road, Newington, Edinburgh, 1920 Valuation Roll but in fact he was only the nominal head of a household comprising six [at 1911 Census] unmarried brothers and sisters of “Independent Means” at 11 Priestfield Road – Ann Webb, Edward S Webb, Stephen Webb, Eliza Webb, Margaret McCrin Webb and Isabella Reid Webb [Source: 1911 Census]; Dora Muir had been up in Edinburgh on 31 August 1920 ‘interviewing’ the Webbs for a job – perhaps a little like Mary Poppins

² Not identified

³ Kirklea, Ashkirk, home of William Henry ‘W H’ or ‘Will’ Ogilvie (1869-1963), poet, author, journalist and one of Australia’s great Bush poets and his wife Katherine Margaret ‘Madge’ Scott Ogilvie née Anderson (1879-1965)

⁴ Thomas Baptie (1860-1929), driver and handyman for Dr Muir

⁵ Phyllis Mary ‘Fiff’ Dees (1899-1920) had suffered a head injury in a car accident 24 August 1920; she was the daughter of Robert Irwin Dees (1872-1923) and Edith Mary Boileau Dees née Henderson, the new (1920) tenants at Faldonside

⁶ The engagement of Hugh Raymond Lemon (1899-1956), R.E., and Phyllis Dees was announced in The Scotsman, 10 September 1920; he eventually married, Sep Quarter 1925, Anne Sybil Hudson at St. George Hanover Square Registration District 1a 1094

⁷ The Editor assumes that this refers to the property, not named on Ordnance Survey, at Ramseycleuch, Ettrick, where Robert Hope was the inhabitant occupier [1920 Valuation Roll]

⁸ Peel House, Caddonfoot, grid reference NGR NT431,350, designed by John Kinross and completed 1904, was in 1939 requisitioned from Lord Craigmyle and established as one of seven Emergency Hospital Service facilities for military casualties – there was a hospital there until 1988; a valued reader pointed out to the Editor that the house, which later became the doctors’ residence and staff dining room for staff at Peel Hospital “had a tennis court and billiard room” and that colleagues at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh were “… jealous of both the facilities and setting.”

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

A dull sunless day but fairly warm. S.W. wind. Got Mrs Turnbull over at 11.45 last night¹ + got to bed at 1 this morning. Cycled to Faldonside. Miss D. i.s.q.², still some fever (99 to 100) no back ache but still headache + earache. In afternoon motored town + call at Kirklea³ + then went on to West Essenside to see Walt. Currie⁴ whom I found on top of a haystack.

¹ Philip Reilly Turnbull (1920-1981), son of James Turnbull and Maggie Reilly, born 8 September 1920 at Ettrick Terrace, Selkirk; his parents had married 1906 at Hawick

² Phyllis Mary ‘Fiff’ Dees (1899-1920) was <i>in status quo</i> having had suffered a head injury in a car accident 24 August 1920; she was the daughter of Robert Irwin Dees (1872-1923) and Edith Mary Boileau Dees née Henderson, the new (1920) tenants at Faldonside

³ Kirklea, Ashkirk, home of William Henry ‘W H’ or ‘Will’ Ogilvie (1869-1963), poet, author, journalist and one of Australia’s great Bush poets, and Katherine Margaret ‘Madge’ Ogilvie née Scott Anderson (1879-1965)

⁴ Walter ‘Walt’ Currie (fl.1920), ploughman, “inhabitant occupier not rated” at a house at West Essenside, Ashkirk [1920 Valuation Roll]

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Dull morning: slates + pavements wet but it turned out a very fine day. Message to Mrs Henry¹, Middlestead which Dav. [Graham] did on his way to Thirlestane. I saw 3 town cases + then motored with Tom Alexander² to Faldonside, Bogle House, Caddonfoot (Mrs Stenhouse³) + on to Manor Water Sanatorium⁴ where I saw Rob. Scott⁵ + Peggy Lockie⁶. The Matron showed me round the place. We lunched by the side of the Manor Water + came home via Cademuir + the right side of [the River] Tweed. Had a confinement at night: Mrs James Turnbull, Ettrick Terrace⁷.

¹ Peter Henry, ploughman, was Inhabitant Occupier of a house at Middlestead, Selkirk, 1920 Valuation Roll; his (second) wife was Agnes D Craik (1892-1972), a domestic servant at Costerton, Crichton, Midlothian when they married on 30 April 1919 at the Lawson Memorial Free Church Manse

² Tom Alexander has appeared in the diaries before but is otherwise unidentified

³ Thomas Stenhouse (c.1865-1929) and his first wife Christina Boa Stenhouse née Brown (1871-1926) lived at Allanlea, Caddonfoot, Selkirkshire, 1920 Valuation Roll

⁴ Manor Valley Sanatorium, Caverhill, Manor, Peeblesshire

⁵ Not identified

⁶ Margaret ‘Peggy’ Lockie (1903-1921), daughter of Walter Lockie and Margaret Lockie née Scott, a power loom weaver, of Forest Road, Selkirk, she died of pulmonary tuberculosis, aged 17, death certified by J S Muir M.B.

⁷ Philip Reilly Turnbull (1920-1981), son of James Turnbull and Maggie Reilly, born 8 September 1920 at Ettrick Terrace, Selkirk; his parents had married 1906 at Hawick

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Sunny calm forenoon, cloudy after: no rain: [wind] S.W. to W.N.W. Cycled down Forest Road + then to Faldonside. Miss Dees¹ improving. Said I would not go down in evening unless she was worse. Was in the house the rest of the day. Sent out some belated accounts + wrote out advertisement of Viewfield for Southern Reporter: Border Standard: Hawick News: Kelso Mail + Berwick News². Tom Alexander³ arrived at 7.30. H. + D.⁴ went to Picture House so we dined alone.

¹ Phyllis Mary ‘Fiff’ Dees (1899-1920) had suffered a head injury in a car accident 24 August 1920; she was the daughter of Robert Irwin Dees (1872-1923) and Edith Mary Boileau Dees née Henderson, the new (1920) tenants at Faldonside

² The Southern Reporter (still in print in 2020) in 1957 absorbed The Border Standard (founded in 1881 as the Scottish Border Record – not to be confused with the title of the same name published in the early 1880s for the Langholm area) and at the end of February 1983 also absorbed The Kelso Chronicle & Jedburgh Gazette, which itself had inherited, through consolidation, the venerable Kelso Mail title [https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/scotland/southern-reporter/]

³ Not identified

⁴ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963) and Andrina Dorothy ‘Dora’ Muir (1882-1978), two of Dr Muir’’s daughters

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]