Author: rumblingclint

Weather I.S.Q.¹ Saw half a dozen town cases. Met Cath Smith who talked about Jean. Cycled down to Forest Mill + chose cloth for a summer suit. Went on to Sunderland Hall + Fairnilea + continued by Ashiestiel to Walkerburn + home. Took my tea opposite Thornylee². A lot of wood cut down at Caddonfoot + Ashiestiel. Stopped above Holylee + had a smoke by the river³. Motored down to Sunderland Hall stables at 8.45 [9.45?] + gave George McGill 1/3 morphine + atropine⁴. McCall called. He is almost off his head. He has been proposing to some girl + been refused.

¹ I.S.Q. is In Status Quo, a medical abbreviation meaning “no change”

² Assume somewhere in the Traquair Forest / Elibank area opposite Thornylee Craigs (though opposite Thornielee, a little further east, is a possibility too)

³ Holylee, north bank of Tweed approximate grid reference NGR NT393,375

⁴ See also diary entry for 30 May 1919

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

Same magnificent weather calm, bright, warm. Started at 9.30 + cycled to Old Mill farm, Lewenshope, Muthag Street, Yair, Fairnilee Cottages, Sunderland Hall stables, Curror Street + Elmrow. After tea hurried message to Old Mill Farm, (Miss Turnbull, maniacal). But found D. [Dr David Graham, co-partner] at Mauldsheugh + he went while I returned via Curror etc. Meeting of [War Memorial] sub committee [illegible] all inspected the site at British Linen Bank + were unanimous. Jack + Scott Plummer are to interview the Bank in Edinburgh on Thursday. Wrote about rooms in Commercial Hotel, Glenluce¹. Wrote A L McLean [?].

¹ Glenluce near Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire [Dumfries and Galloway] where Dr Muir was planning a holiday, see also diary entry for 27 May 1919

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

Rowan tree full out but less blossom than usual [across the double page]

NW-NE [wind] dry sunny day delightfully warm but not oppressive. Was late of getting out. Took along a note of my War Loan investment to D.C. along with certificates + asked him to look into them as I don’t appear to have anything for show for £700 of 1915. Cycled to Harehead, General’s Bridge, Ettrick Mill + saw one or two in town. At 4 met 4.15 met Jack at British Linen Bank Garden[?]. Johnstone was there + afterwards he sent me a list of the Directors, among whom I found Sandie McClure, C B Balfour + Master of Polwarth¹. At 10 Dav. [Dr David Graham] asked me to go down see Mr King, Heatherlie, who has bad peritonitis. Helen called for Miss Rutherford, Barnfield[?].

¹ Assume Alexander Logan McClure (1860-1932), advocate (whose mother was a Logan as was Dr Muir’s mother); Charles Barrington Balfour (1862-1921), JP, DL, CB, British army officer and politician and Lord-Lieutenant of Berwickshire, and Walter George Hepburne-Scott (1864-1944), 9th Lord Polwarth, who was Master of Polwarth 1864-1920

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

Splendid weather but roads awful with dust. Duller + less warm at night. Gave girl [?] Purvis, Forest Road, chlor[oform] for D. [David Graham] to curette at 10 having previously cycled to Sunderland Hall stables. Got to morning service. Did a lot of writing in afternoon. Went down to Sunderland Hall a second time in evening + landed at Wellwood for supper. Wm [?] + May there.

Image to follow.

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

Only 4 town patients seen today, 2 by D. [Dr David Graham, co-partner] + 2 by me. Cycled to Henderland to see Isa Mitchell about her application for Paisley Hospital¹. Was stopped at Yarrowford to ‘phone to Mrs Dubs². Lovely day. A little S.W. wind. Saw [illegible word] chasing  a cock pheasant at Dryhope. Got back at 3 to find message to Thirlestane. Motored up. Lord N [Napier] was drinking in London. Dav. was at Sunderland Hall stable + then at Lilliesleaf + Dryden. Twice at Old Mill Farm (Mrs Turnbull [illegible word]) + had to go up to Ettrick Shaws at night. Helen, Nancy + Stewart cycled to Ettrickbridgend. Had tea at Hawkshaw + then went over the Swire + down Yarrow.

¹ The editor assumes that this is Isabella Mitchell, born 7 September 1894, at Henderland, Megget, Selkirkshire; daughter of James Mitchell, farmer and Margaret Mitchell née Mitchell, who had married 14 December 1883 at Yarrow

² The editor assumes this is a call in relation to the health of Frank Albert Dubs (1860-1920), engineer and locomotive builder, later of ‘private means’, with nine servants [source: 1911 census], born Anderston, Glasgow

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

Weather the same. Pretty warm. Wind S.W. light. I was going down to Mrs Blake about 10.30 when a message came to John Pringle [? ?] whose hernia was strangulated. I tried [? ? ?] but failed to reduce it so, as I had to go back to Mrs B, I called for D. [Dr David Graham, copartner]. I got Mrs Blake over about 5 a.m.¹ [word deleted] (having given her hydrogen hydr. and chloroform) [word deleted] first + then Dav. came along in his car + operated on Pringle. I didn’t get to bed till after 7 + lay till 11. There was hardly a soul I’ll in the town. D. was at a [?] Board at Newtown [St Boswells] + in the afternoon I went down to Sunderland Hall stables. D. had to go to Shaws in the evening. Julia Pringle Left Wellwood today².

¹ Elizabeth Robertson Blake, daughter of Cecil Margaret Blake née Lawrie and William George Blake, engineering salesman and Lieutenant 11^th Royal Scots, born 23 May 1919, at Fernlea, Anderson Road, Selkirk. Her parents had married 12 February 1918

² There is a good chance that this is Dr Julia Letitia Pringle (1878-1960), M.B.; Ch.B., the daughter of the late Robert Pringle, Writer to the Signet, who studied medicine at the Medical College for Women, Edinburgh, graduating in 1903. Her wartime service appears to have commenced with her signing of a form for the Medical Recruiting Scheme 1916 in which her details are, in summary “Dr Julia Letitia Pringle, MB ChB Edinburgh, of Wellington Street, Dundee, serving on the General Practitioner Panel.” [Source: Scottish Medical Service Emergency Committee, see http://smsec.rcpe.ac.uk/registration-form/pringle-julia-letitia]

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

Keeping fine + warm. Wind steadily S.E. Mrs Blake made no sign + I called for her in the morning. At night however I found her progressing. Jessie + Jim Hayes came at 10.30¹. Dora met them. I took them for a run in the Straker Squire² (which ran beautifully) to Minto, Ancrum + St Boswells + we walked to the Mausoleum³. Got back for lunch at 1.30 when we had a beautiful cut of salmon which kind Mrs Mackintosh gave us. Then I cycled over to Yair + went to Wellwood with the Hayes for tea. They and Dora left at 5.46. David [Graham] met his sister at Gala in the morning + in the afternoon went to Ettrick Shaws + General’s Bridge. Nancy + Julia came up at night. Lovely warm night.

¹ Jessie Geddes Thomson Hayes née Muir (1860-1930), daughter of Alexander Muir (1831-1915), banker, and Jessie Geddes Muir née Thomson and thus Dr Muir’s niece, and her husband James Hayes, medical practitioner; she was born in Chorlton and they married in 1886 in Altrincham

² Straker Squire or Straker-Squire Ltd., also Brazil, Straker (1901-1927), motor manufacturer, see https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Straker-Squire

³ Monteath Douglas Mausoleum, Lilliard’s Edge, see diary entry for 19 May 1919

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

Most brilliant morning when I was called up at 6.30 for Mrs Blake, Fernlee, nothing came of the summons though I saw her several times. Dav. [Dr David Graham] motored to Edinburgh in connection with his mother’s death. I cycled to Gibson & Lumgair + Mauldsheugh where I saw 3 of the patients. Miss Erskine, Mrs Eard… and [Mr] Cheek [?]. I gave the latter a hypo of [illegible] + I was sent for later to see him. Went up General’s Bridge + back to Mauldsheugh. Attended for Dav. [Graham] the first meeting of the Child Welfare at Victoria Hall. Spoke seriously to Dora [Muir] about Pilot + to my grief find that she is still corresponding with him.

¹ Dr Muir’s youngest daughter Andrina Dorothy ‘Dora’ Muir (1882-1978) had met a medic called Dr Pilot while travelling with her nursing duties and they became engaged but Pilot turned out to be married, see for instance diary entries for 12, 14 and 17 March 1919

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

Another day like yesterday but hazier. Cycled down to ? Mill, Yarrow Mill, Sunderland Hall, Yair + Fairnilee. Then left by [sic] bicycle just beyond the Bogle house + walked up the hill coming down by Caddonfoot Church¹. Did not get home for tea till 4. Cycled down to Sunderland Hall stables at night. Dav. [Dr David Graham] got the bad news, by wire, of his mother’s sudden death in India². Helen [Muir] + Julia cycled down to Melrose Hydro where Mr Pringle is staying. The Patons were at Wellwood³.

¹ Dr Muir appears to have struck off just north of Fairnilee (Bogle House is shown there on the OS Landranger mapping), at approximate grid reference NGR NT456,328, and walked north along Fairnilee and Neidpath Hills, above the Bogle Pool on the River Tweed, and presumably down the Blakehope Burn to Caddonfoot Church (Canmore ID54441) at NT450,347

² Katherine Graham née McConachie, died 15 May 1919; she was the wife 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 mother of David Charteris Graham (1889-1963) who got his middle name from Professor Archibald Hamilton Charteris, D.D., who, as Convener of the Committee on Christian Life and Work, oversaw the establishment of, inter alia, the ‘Lady Grisell Baillie Memorial Hospital’ and the hospital at Kalimpong in the Eastern Himalayas

³ The Patons, Isabella Clementina ‘Isa’ (about 1838-1929) and Marion Agnes (about 1841-1940), were sisters living on their own means [1901 Census]

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

Saw patch of snow on Cheviot.

S.E. stiffish wind + dust flying. Constant sunshine. Very pleasant. Was called up at 3.20 to Mrs Neil, Fairnilee, who had a son before I arrived¹. Got back to bed at 5.30. Dav. Murray still alive: most extraordinary case of existing on nothing. He is emaciated to the last degree. Called down to Sund Hall stables Took a cycle run to Longnewton + Lilliard’s Edge. Took my tea in a rock field area Bells Butts². Came home by St Boswells Green. Walked up to the Mausoleum at Lilliard’s Edge³. Magnificent view. Saw the erection near at hand for the first time. It is a fine structure erected to Gen. Sir Thomas Monteath Douglas of Stonebyres whose daughter married Sir William Scott⁴. Had to go down to Sunderland Hall at night. Cycled over 35 miles. Boylan called to say goodbye⁵.

¹ Thomas Nicholson Neil, son of James Neil, ploughman, and Sybil Neil nee Nicholson, born 03.45 on 19 May 1919 at Fairnilee Farm Cottage, Caddonfoot, Selkirkshire. His parents had married 27 April 1906 at Newcastleton, Roxburghshire

² Bells Butts, Ancrum, approximate grid reference NGR NT628,255 and visible on Ordnance Survey Roxburghshire Sheet XIV, 1863 but not indicated on either XIV.SE, 1899 or nXIII, 1923

³ Monteath Douglas Mausoleum, Lilliard’s Edge, see https://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/details/913234 and http://friendsofthemonteathmausoleum.org.uk/ both accessed 2019.05.17; memorial to General Sir Thomas Monteath Douglas formerly Monteath (1788-1868), of Stonebyres, Lanarks

⁴ This is not easily verifiable because, though Wikipedia states “The land belonged to his son in law Sir William Monteath Scott”, other sources including the Douglas Archives either do not record this information or offer alternative genealogies

⁵ John Dun Boylan (1850-1924) civil engineer and friend not immune to criticism by Dr Muir as a ‘windbag’ and an “Egotist”, who resided Shawmount, Selkirk

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