Author: rumblingclint

Had a pretty good night but kept my bed most of the day. T. [temperature] fell to 99.4 + at night was normal. Baptie¹ motored up for Annie Little² + then had to take Dav. [Graham], first to Sunderland Hall + Fairnilea Lodge + then to Dryhopehope. He was to have gone down for Jessie Boyd³ but was so late there [Faldonside] I sent a car from Bryson. We had our New Year party + I felt pretty well. All the Wellwood but Tim: Mrs Mackintosh + Erskine⁴ : Dav. (who was kept late by a crowd of Surgery cases) + Norah⁵: Boylan⁶ + Jessie Boyd. We expected Charlie Roberts but he thought it was next Friday. We spent a very happy + decidedly noisy evening.

¹ Thomas Baptie (1860-1929), driver and handyman for Dr Muir

² Ann Helen ‘Annie’ Little (1894-1968), Red Cross VAD holder of Red or White Stripe, of Hawkshaw, Kirkhope, Selkirkshire, Dr Muir’s servant for 6½ years until early 1918 when she left go to Moffat Hydro Military Hospital on V.A.D. work [Southern Reporter, 6 April 1922]

³ Jessie Milne Brack Boyd (1867-1961), of Faldonside, plantswoman and gardener

⁴ James Erskine Harper (1887-1953), barrister and Mrs Mackintosh’s son

⁵ David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963, medical practitioner and Norah Graham née West (1887-1971)

⁶ John Dun Boylan (1850-1924), civil engineer, acquaintance of Dr Muir, sometime of Shawmount, Selkirk; seen by Dr Muir as an egotist and windbag

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

New Year’s Day in bed! What a life! I found myself last night with a temp. of 100 + got Dav. [Graham, co-partner] to examine me when he found rales at both bases¹. So I kept quiet + took mixture with creosote. It. Was a glorious day with keen frost and a cloudless sky. Got a nice letter from Mary Lockart [sic] which cheered me greatly. Missed the [illegible] concert by Mallalieu. Wellwood, Elmpark, Helen + the Grahams¹ all went together. Felt very seedy all day but was cheered when they all came in to wish me a “Happy New Year”. At night my temp was 101.0.

¹ Rales (Crackles) are clicking, bubbling or rattling sounds in the lungs; in Dr Muir’s case they are Bibasal crackles i.e. in both lungs

² The Roberts family, Mrs Mackintosh and perhaps her son James Erskine Harper (see diary entry for 2 January), Helen Muir and Dr David and Norah Graham

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

Colder: rain: some more snow on hills: heavy rain last night, Ettrick + Tweed very big. N.E. [wind]. I was feeling shivery + tired. In fact I have been so, on and off, for a few days + on taking my temp. about 5 found it 100^o. Got Dav. [Dr David Graham, co-partner] to examine me + he found some rales posteriorly¹. He advised me to have his [illegible word] visit. I had a hot bath + went early to bed. Went to Sunderland Hall + Fairnilee + Dav. did Thirlestane. Got everything ready for New Year in the way of diaries, cash book etc etc. Helen was at children’s party at Thornfield. Was very pleased to get a nice letter from Wyllys: also a P.C. [postcard] from Fanny McKenzie.

¹ Rales are clicking, bubbling or rattling sounds in the lungs, see also diary entry for 1 January 1920

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

Beautiful morning with mist in the valleys + bright sunshine above. In the afternoon the mist gradually descended + it was raining at night. W. [wind] Motored at 9.20 to see Willie Cochrane¹ [illegible] at Whitmuirhall + called for Mrs Russell. She was evidently sinking + died in the forenoon. Wrote Robert Russell². Motored to Thirlestane (Lady N. not any better) + back to Bridge Street, Fairnilee + Sunderland Hall + Bridgelands. Had 2 wires from Lady Belhaven³ + wrote her. Mrs Plummer in an unsatisfactory condition. Plummer rang me up at night. Got hair cut.

¹ William Cochrane was occupier of a house at Whitmuirhall at least 1916 to 1920 [Valuation Rolls]

² Janet Margaret Russell née Shand (about 1828-1919), widow of James Russell D.D., minister of Yarrow, died 30 December 1919, aged 91, at Heathview, Hillside Terrace, Selkirk, death certified by “John S Muir M.B. etc”; she was the daughter of John Shand, Writer to the Signet, and Isabella Shand née Lister

³ The Editor assumes this must be Georgiana Katharine ‘Lilly’ Hamilton née Richmond (d.1932), Baroness Belhaven and Stenton; it is not obvious why they were corresponding, though Lady Napier was her daughter (and Mrs Mackintosh her sister) and Lady Belhaven herself was to visit Selkirk imminently

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

Fresh today: pretty calm + no rain. Some glints of sun on the hills + fields showed up the winter colourings marvellously. Bella [Paulin, houekeeper] in bed with her arthritis. I went off first thing to Thirlestane. Found Lady Napier rather unreasonable about Nurse Moffat who arrived today. Came back to Bowhill + got some holly with very few berries. David [Graham] had a narrow escape coming down the Haining approach + ran into the wall at the Lodge. Message to Jackson, Fairnilee at night. Dav. went in the Swift. Mrs Mackintosh profuse as usual with gifts of edibles.

¹ It is not clear which of the lodges East, West or North was referred to, see Ordnance Survey 6 inch Selkirkshire Sheet XII.NW, published 1900 https://maps.nls.uk/view/75674497

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

Pretty hard frost + roads very slippy in places but there was a gradual thaw + rain at night. I motored [to] Hutlerburn, Fairholm + Deloraine : back to Heatherlie Burn + Manse + down to Sunderland Hall + Fairnilee East Lodge. Got back at 1.30 + was finishing my tea at 2.30 when they ‘phoned to go up to Lady Napier. I did that getting back at 6.30. In the morning we stuck on the Kirkhope Manse Brae + had to put on chains. Coming back we found Dav. [Graham] at the same place in the same fix. He was on his way to Hawkshaw to take Miss Scott to see people near Colinton. I motored nearly 70 miles.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

Hesitating between frost + fresh. Very heavy blasts of rain from W. + in afternoon in sheltered places roads very icy. David [Graham, co-partner] better but didn’t do much. I went to Lilliesleaf for him in his car which, though it is fast, is very cramped + uncomfortable. Hiddleston¹ ill : rang up and asked for [after] him.

¹ John Murray Hiddleston (1891-1954), medical practitioner

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

Very hard frost + roads dry but rained + sleeted [illegible] at night. Still feeling seedy + shivery and had breakfast in bed intending to remain there but in the end dressed + went out + saw a few cases. Dav. went to Sunderland Hall for me but he was colded + did not go to Wellwood to which I went at 8 + left before 10. There were both children + adults. Got a very nice letter from Agatha Purvis (who is living for the winter at Rinaldy¹) + another from May Rodger + replied to them both.

¹ Rinaldi, perhaps Firenze, Toscana, Italy

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

A nice day clearing away to a hard frost at night. There were frozen places on the roads + at Linglie but mostly they were heavy. I was glad to be able to cycle to Cannon Street, Sunderland Hall, Lowood + back to Wellwood for Xmas lunch at 1. I was feeling seedy however + did not enjoy it. The children were all very happy. H [Helen Muir] + I dined at Elmpark. Erskine¹ was there also Jack, Nancy, Barbara + Jack².

¹ James Erskine Harper (1887-1953), Agnes Mackintosh’s son

² John ‘Jack’ Roberts and Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir and two of their children – Andrina Henderson ‘Barbara’ and John ‘Jack’ or ‘Jock’

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

There was a heavy fall of soft snow between 9 + 10 this morning + the streets got very slushy. During the day it rained occasionally. Very dull + dank. Motored to Sunderland Hall + Bridgelands after seeing a town list of 12. Got a few Christmas cards. I have sent away 52 at least I will when I have Miss Stelek’s¹ + Jessie Hayes’² addresses. There was a Xmas tree at Victoria Hall in connection with Child Welfare. Dav. [Dr David Graham] dressed as a Pierrot + James Connachie as a Turk. David Lumgair³ has his [gramophone?]. Helen was one of the helpers.

¹ Fraülein Stelka or Stelek appears to have been a Christmas-time contact, perhaps a relic of an earlier, closer connection; she was previously referred to in Dr Muir’s diary entries of 27 and 29 December 1915, 19 December 1916 “(“… calendar from Fraulein Stelka & a note in which she declared her British sympathies”) and 20 December 1917

² Jessie Geddes Thomson Hayes née Muir (1860-1930), daughter of Alexander Muir and thus Dr Muir’s niece

³ David Lumgair (1889-1932), woollen manufacturer and older brother of R M M ‘Morris’ Lumgair

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]