Author: rumblingclint

Mild + raining. River big. Was not out of town. Walked to Goslaw Green, Rectory, Shawpark, Mavisbank, Heathview, Castle Street, Bank, Kilncroft + Bridge Street. David [Graham] came in when I was at tea. Mr Ross¹ paid his pastoral visit at night. Finished ‘Christopher & Columbus’² which Mrs Mackintosh gave me in June. Helen + Nancy had tea with Lydia.

¹ The Reverend Andrew Ross (1871-1942), Church of Scotland minister

² ‘Christopher and Columbus’, 1919, by Elizabeth Von Arnim (1866-1941), Australian-born British novelist

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

A miserable morning of sleety rain. Snow on hills: faired after midday + looked clear + frosty at night. Motored to Bowhill + back to Heatherlie + Forest Mill¹ + then to Yair returning via Mavisbank + Heath Kew. Was feeling curiously queasy + seedy + kept to the Smoke room all evening, finally falling asleep in the armchair.

¹ Forest Mill, Dunsdale Road, Selkirk was George Roberts’ old mill which John Roberts junior had been involved in managing since 1894; it was later merged with Robert Noble of Peebles and Walter Thorburn of Hawick and in the end, after the weaving interests of the combine were passed to Henry Ballantyne of Walkerburn, everything ended up at March Street, Peebles as Robert Noble (eventually as part of Moorbrook Textiles) until its closure in 2015 [sources: ‘George Roberts and Co., Woollen Manufacturer, Selkirk’ at Archives Hub https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb582-hwuagr and Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service]

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

Got War Stock Divvies [dividends] = £40 10 6. Was able to cycle to Mackay, Ettrickhaugh Road, Beechwood + in town + later to Hospital + Pinegrove. Roads softer today but quite rideable. At Beechwood met Miss Colville’s¹ lawyer Mr Perrie² [sic] who knows both J G Smith + Eddy Miller³. My cough + expectoration very troublesome.

¹ Miss Jemima Colville (1857-1932) was the tenant at Beechwood Villa, Selkirk 1911-1919 but died at the Crichton Institute, Dumfries (she was also a private patient there on the night of the 1991 Census); she was the daughter of David Colville (d.1908), provision merchant later iron and steel manufacturer employing 460 workers, and Janet Colville née Barr [Valuation Rolls and Statutory BMDs]

² Pirie & Stewart, writers, of St Vincent Street, Glasgow, trustees of the late David Colville

³ Edward Caird ‘Eddie’ Miller (1864-1927), iron and steel founder

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

Feeling rather better. Attended Mrs Robert Ruthven, Castle Street who had a son¹ at 9.30 a.m. saw some 15 town cases walking. Made Bella² put on a big fire in the dining room. Jack, Nancy + Helen³ arrived home about 4 from St Abbs. Nancy very well indeed. Helen + I went to evening service. The choir gave some ? + we went to the Gallery. Frosty this morning + the roads fairly good.

¹ Bailie Turnbull Ruthven, son of Robert Ruthven, plumber, and Jessie Kerr Ruthven née Turner, born 30 November 1919 at 5 Castle Street, Selkirk

² Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (1873-), Dr Muir’s housekeeper

³ John Roberts junior ‘Jack’ (1876-1966), mill owner and Provost of Selkirk, later knighted “for political and public services in Selkirk”; Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s daughter and wife of John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior and Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter

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

Kept the house all day as my cold was worse. Sat mostly in the Smoke room. There were several messages that David [Graham] did, including one to Lady Napier which however I managed to defer till tomorrow. Little Tommy Beattie was removed to the House + we operated on him at 7.30. On leaving the house I had to see Maggie Little + found [?] her very low. Didn’t get dinner till 9 o’clock.

¹ Margaret Little, milliner, single (retired), died 30 November 1919, aged 76, at 18 Ettrick Terrace, Selkirk, death certified by “John S Muir M.B. etc”; she was the daughter of James Little, cabinetmaker, and Jane Little née Kennedy

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

Damp raw day with some rain later snow. Dense fog in morning. Still suffering from Coryza + laryngitis. Have Chlor[oform] to a boy of Mrs F ? Scott + Peggy Hood, Kirkwynd for Dav. [Dr David Graham] to remove tonsils + adenoids. Saw some town cases + motored to Bowhill – [Mrs] Ordish convalescing slowly. David has been sent for to Whiterigg to someone who is staying with Mrs Jamieson who, I rather think, is the daughter of Sheriff Boyd.

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

Colder: sprinkling of snow on the hills+ some sleet + hail during the day N.E. My coryza very disagreeable + a lot of laryngeal cough. Was not out of town + went to do Bowhill but hearing that [Mrs] Ordish was keeping better did not go. Saw some 10 town cases. Met D [David Graham] at Wm Dryden’s Backnowe where he removed duplicate ? from the baby. Message to Boylan¹, Shawpark. Baptie took D Lumgair’s car to Edinburgh. He went in, in 1¹/₂ hours + got the 2.40 back. Letter from Nancy [Roberts née Muir] in which she says she is much better.

¹ John Dun Boylan (1850-1924), civil engineer, sometime of Shawpark, Selkirk; acquaintance of Dr Muir’s but viewed by him as an egotist and windbag

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

Wind round to N.N.W., damp, raining in afternoon. My cold developing with Laryngitis + hoarseness. Saw a dozen town cases. Letter from Dora [Muir] enclosing an army draft for £43 10 0 her War Bonus – which I put in deposit receipt for her. Wrote Jean [Muir] also. David [Graham, co-partner] was at Borthwickbrae, seeing the Scott Noble child, Hawkshaw + Fauldshope.

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

A damp mild day with a little rain. Stewart¹ was not seriously ill after all. I saw 13 town cases motoring + called for Jessie Boyd². Also went to Beechwood to see Mrs (or Miss?) Thomson + Mrs Elliot, Ladylands Toll.

¹ Stewart Muir Roberts (1908-2003), Dr Muir’s grandson

² Assume Jessie Milne Brack Boyd (1867-1961), of Faldonside, plantswoman and gardener

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

Baptie + I went up to Harehead Young Wood to select some sticks for the fruit enclosure.

Strong gale from W. raged all night. Saw 7 town cases walking + motored to Goslaw Green, Rectory, Raeburn Meadow, Sunderland Hall Stables, Yair + Bridge Street. At Heather Mill got messages to Cockburn, Middlehead + Elliot, Ladylands. Jack got a ‘phone from Nancy that Stewart was ill + he motored to Moffat taking David with him. I had a crowd of 22 or 23 people in at night. Felt a coryza coming on. Not much rain. [River] Tweed very swollen, more so than Ettrick [Water]. Snow quite gone from Peel Law + Foulshiels. I expected Dora [Muir] to come today but she wired that she had gone to Hamilton.

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