Was called out at 3.30 a.m. to Mrs Marshall¹, Beechbank. Sandie², who came in for me said she was “nearly dead”. However she was not so very ill + some brandy had a good effect. Saw her during the day + at night. There was a slight fall of snow + the ground was all white. It thawed calmly during the day + had almost disappeared at night when it was quite mild. Motored to Faldonside + was disgusted to meet Mrs D.³ coming out of the gate in the car. Called at Wellwood + got Helen’s⁴ present. Sent away one or two more letters (Isa Boucher⁵, Vera Brown⁶). Bella⁷ still ill in bed. Smith the night nurse from Viewfield called for Helen + kindly came in, scrubbed the kitchen floor + blacked the grate. Helen entertained her to cake + Port.

¹ Janet Winning Marshall née Crichton (1873-1930), wife of Robert Marshall, roadman, of Beechbank Cottages, Selkirk

² Alexander ‘Sandie’ Marshall (1899-), son of the above

³ Edith Mary Boileau Dees née Henderson (1872-1948) whose daughter Phyllis had died on 2 December 1920

⁴ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s daughter and sometime housekeeper

⁵ Isa Boucher is not identified but has been referred to previously “Got practical effusion from Rabagliati & cards from Isa Boucher & the Somers.” [diary entry for Thursday 21 December 1916]

⁶ Assume Vera Watson Brown, later Salvesen (1900-1974), daughter of William Brown, banker, and Henrietta Brown née Watson

⁷ Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (1873-?1952), Dr Muir’s housekeeper

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

Dry hard frost: calm N.W. [wind]. Roads good. Had a very light day, not a single message till I was called away from Church for Mrs Marshall¹, Beechbank. Sent away a lot of P.C.s [post cards] + letters for Xmas in the afternoon. Bella² still in bed. Breakfast at 8.30 + had nothing nothing till high tea at 5. The Taylors³, Nancy, Barbara, Louise, Stewart⁴ + Kathleen⁵ + I all went to a performance of Messiah in our Church which was packed. It was a very high class performance. The soprano + alto were particularly good.

¹ Assume Janet Winning Marshall née Crichton (1873-1930), wife of Robert Marshall, roadman, living at 14 Beechbank Cottages, 1920 Valuation Roll

² Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (1873-?1952), Dr Muir’s housekeeper

³ The Misses Taylor have not yet been identified

⁴ Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948) and her children Andrina Barbara Henderson ‘Barbara’ Roberts, Louisa Jane Roberts and Stewart Muir ‘Little Stewart’ Roberts

⁵ Kathleen has not been identified

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

Dry today with piercing N.W. wind. Message last night to see Mark Sprot¹. Motored round town + over to Riddell. Mark had slight pleurisy in right side. Got some Xmas cards: book of Rorie’s Scots poems² from Julia³. In afternoon wrote some letters. Sent Julia a book of Waugh = “Heroes in Homespun”⁴. Bella⁵ very bad with Asthma. Wrote Mary⁶, Jean⁷, Guy⁸, Dora⁹, Julia, Kate McDonald¹⁰ + sent my card to Glendinnings¹¹ + Clark Coupers¹².

¹ Assume Mark Sprot (1881-1946), landowner and army officer (captain, 1916 and major, 1920) was at Riddell, Lilliesleaf, 1920 VR

² David Rorie (1867-1946), M.D.C.M., D.P.H., doctor, folklorist and poet writing in Scots: published ‘The Auld Doctor and other poems and songs in Scots’, 1920 and ‘The Lum Hat Wantin’ the Croon and other poems’, 1935

³ Perhaps one of the Ballards of Philiburn, Julia Mary Ballard née Anderson (about 1838-1922) or her daughter Mary Julia Ballard (about 1864-1935)

⁴ Joseph Laing Waugh (1868-1928), businessman and author, born Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway ; his publications included ‘Heroes in Homespun’ which Wikipedia dates 1921 but the first edition, by Hodder & Stoughton, was undated and must presumably be 1920

⁵ Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (1873-?1952), Dr Muir’s housekeeper

⁶ Assume Mary Jane Wallace née Muir (1836-1933), Dr Muir’s sister

⁷ Jane Henderson Logan ‘Jean’ Pike née Muir (1877-1941), Dr Muir’s eldest daughter

⁸ Andrina Dorothy ‘Dora’ Muir (1882-1978), nurse and Dr Muir’s youngest daughter

⁹ Gavin Struthers ‘Guy’ Muir (1846-1927), Dr Muir’s brother

¹⁰ Catherine Isabella ‘Kate’ Macdonald née Paton (c.1862-1932), of Newall Terrace, Dumfries, wife of James Cumming Raff Macdonald (c.1859-1921) W.S.

¹¹ Perhaps the Glendinning family at Caddonfoot

¹² Christina Jane Couper née Clark (about 1850-1925) and her daughter Evelyn Susannah Couper, sometime Clark Couper (1872-1927), they were living at Selkirk in 1911 but by 1920 they were at Orchardmains, Traquair

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

S.W. gale + heavy rain. Ettrick in flood + red: Tweed clear. Not much rain in Edin. Saw a town list walking + motored to Gala to catch the 1.15 to Edin. via Peebles. Looked in at the Picture House for a few minutes: bought a respirator at D. T. & Co. for Bella¹ + attended meeting of Branch Council at B.M.A. room 6, Portland Square. Was in the chair till Graham Brown² arrived. Playfair³, Stevens, the treasurer, another man, McRobert⁴, Hensler [?], + Chiene [?]⁵. Got some food at Picture Ho. About 6.30 + saw pictures till train time.

¹ Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (1873-?1952), Dr Muir’s housekeeper

² Assume John James Graham Brown (1853-1925), M.D., C.M., F.R.C.P.E., author of ‘Medical Diagnosis, A Manual of Clinical Methods’, 1884

³ Perhaps John Playfair (1849-1933), M.B., FRCPEd., MDEd., clinician, lecturer and sometime consulting physician to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh

⁴ Conceivably Peter Carmichael Macrobert (1870-1949), medical practitioner, at Waverley Road, Innerleithen, 1920 Valuation Roll

⁵ If the Editor’s reading is correct this is Professor John ‘Honest John’ Chiene (1843-1923), M.D., P.R.C.S.Ed., surgeon, Professor of Surgery at Edinburgh University from 1882-1909, who instituted a small laboratory at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for the examination of pathological and bacteriological specimens and was a pioneer of the Edinburgh Ambulance Service [Source: John Chiene (1842-1923) Sportsman & PRCSEd © Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Library & Archive 2009]

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

Freezing on the ground + roads rather slippery but it got milder + there was a drizzly rain in the afternoon. At night it was calm, dull + mild. Wind (the little there was) which had been S. went to S.W. Walked in town, Forest Road, [illegible], Bridgelands &c. In afternoon got postal order for Martin’s + C. T. C. Macnamara², Backrow has pneumonia, saw him twice. Ordered books for Nancy³ + Ms Mack⁴.  

¹ Neither Martin’s nor C. T. C. are identified unless the latter is the Cyclists’ Touring Club, established in the 19th Century

² Edward Macnamara, carter, was Tenant Occupier of a house at 53 Back Row, Selkirk, 1920 Valuation Roll; he was not recorded after 1934 but in 1935 an Edward Macnamara, fish and chip merchant was at Howegate, Hawick and died at Murray Place, Hawick, the following year, aet 35, of pneumonia

³ Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter

⁴ Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk

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

Frost less keen this morning + by evening a quiet thaw set in + I was able to stop the awful consumption of gas in stoves + radiators. Saw a doz. town cases + assisted Dav. [Graham] at removal of tonsils which was not a success. Bella¹ still in bed + poor Mousey² very busy. I assisted her by mopping the stairs! Ordered some cigarettes for Jack + David³.

¹ Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (1873-?1952), Dr Muir’s housekeeper

² Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter

³ Jack Roberts junior, Dr Muir’s son-in-law and David Graham, Dr Muir’s co-partner

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

Very keen frost continues. Calm, sunny day. Curling + skating going on. Had radiators in hall + dining room on all day. Omega in drawing room [and] gas stove in surgery, W.C. + oil stove in Kitchen on. Bella¹ was up a little. Saw town cases cycling + did Oakwood. Getting on to bike at Sloebank [sic] my foot slipped of [sic] the clip + caught my calf + left it rather painful. Wrote Fanny Ord Mackenzie² + sent return of Lilliesleaf 1st Aid exam³.

¹ Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (1873-?1952), Dr Muir’s housekeeper

² Frances Gordon ‘Fanny’ Ord Mackenzie née Rennie (1864-1948), Dr Muir’s niece

³ There has been a First Aid examination on 10 December

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

Keen frost + hard dry roads. Was called out at 2.45 a.m. for [Marg Rob deleted] Robina Roberts¹, Sloethornbank. Did not stay + came back to bed. Saw her on + off during the day + cycled to Faldonside + got her over at 3.40. Frost continued very severe at night + I put on the radiators in Hall + diningroom + stove in bedrooms. Bella² in bed with slight pericarditis.

¹ Robina Foster Roberts (1890-1969), daughter of Margaret ‘Maggie’ Roberts (whose name appears to be the one deleted), had a son named Charles Turnbull Roberts born 17 December 1920 at Sloethornbank and registered 4 January 1921, she married Andrew Hislop in 1932

² Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (1873-?1952), Dr Muir’s housekeeper

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

Letter from Fanny Ord McKenzie¹

Saw a few town cases + spent most of the day elaborating my speech for tonight. Fowler² called for me + introduced Mr Waugh³ + we went up to the Union Hall which was packed. Waugh’s lecture was very entertaining but I found a scene from “Robbie Doo”⁴, which I had already read, rather wearisome. This was a delightful calm day with signs of frost at night.

¹ Frances Gordon ‘Fanny’ Ord MacKenzie née Rennie (1864-1948) sometime of Headley Mount, Hampshire; daughter of the Reverend James Rennie and Catherine Stewart Rennie nee Muir and thus Dr Muir’s niece, she had married, 1889, Montagu Allan Ord Mackenzie, East India merchant and banker, son of William Ord Mackenzie of Culbo, M.D., Deputy-Inspector-General of Army Hospitals

² Perhaps William Fowler (about 1863-1933), Inspector of Poor and Registrar, Selkirk

³ Joseph Laing Waugh (1868–1928), wallpaper merchant and author, born Thornhill, Dumfriesshire

⁴ ‘Robbie Doo’, 1912, by Joseph Laing Waugh; Robbie Doo was a stone-mason in Thornhill, Dumfriesshire

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

A rather better, still foggy but dry: pavements have not been dry for nearly a week till today. Walked to Hudson¹, Buccleuch Road (rather better or at any rate no worse), the Firs, Forest Road, Ettrick Terrace, Curror Street. Attended meeting of Hospital Com^ttee at 2.30 re a gardener + economic working. Edgar² was squashed. Saw Mrs Thomson³, Backrow after + swotted away at my speech. Was called out at 8.30 to Geo. Lunn⁴, High Street. He was quite unconscious + I suspect cerebral haemorrhage. Helen⁵ + [illegible] took train to Boleside + walked to Melrose + back to Boleside. They had tea at the Crystals⁶.

¹ Annie Hudson née Lynch who had been ill after the birth of her daughter Agnes Lynch Hudson on 12 December 1920

² Not identified

³ Not identified

⁴ George Lunn was Tenant Occupier of a shop and house at 4 High Street, Selkirk (as well as a number of properties in Back Row), 1920 Valuation Roll

⁵ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper

⁶ The Crystal or Chrystal household is difficult to pin down (though it has been referred to in the diaries before) but the Reverend James Robert Chrystal of Woodlea, Melrose died at Melrose in 1930

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