Freezing on ground + snow lying in shade, on green + on hills but very little. It was fresh all day with a little rain. Jean [Muir] rang at 6. I was up at Bowhill in the forenoon + back to Broadmeadows in afternoon where there was a false alarm of S.F. [Scarlet Fever?] in a child of James Goodfellow. D. [David Graham, co-partner] did Sunderland Hall as he was at Bridgelands + Lindean School. Got Xmas cards from Stelk [Stelek?], Lockharts, Mrs Ramsay etc. Helen very busy with Xmas tree for child welfare.

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

Frost during night + some snow. Roads very icy at first but got quite soft soon. Motored to Glebe, Buccleuch Road, Cannon Street, Sunderland Hall – Mrs P better¹ – Curror Street. Mrs Mackay [sic] was unconscious when I called at 1.30 + she died at 4². Of the 3 old ladies whom I have been attending for some time since she aet 73 has died first. Mrs Russell, 91 + Mrs Lawson, 84 still survive. Jean came at 7.30 looking decidedly “shilpit”³ + depressed.

¹ Mrs Plummer – see diary entry for 18 December 1919

² Jessie McKay née Bolton, died 22 December 1919 at Heathpark, Selkirk, aged 72, death certified by “John S Muir M.B. &c”; she was the daughter of Robert Bolton, ploughman, and Isabella Bolton née Fisher, and widow of Alexander McKay, confectioner

³ The Dictionar o the Scots Leid offers three definitions which are a reasonable fit: 1. Thin, emaciated, puny in growth, shrunken, pinched, with sharp starved-looking or drawn features, 2. Spiritless, craven, timid and 3. Cheerless, cold and comfortless, ungenial

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

Rather colder + at night there was a slight snow shower. Gave Violet Hannay¹, Buccleuch Road, chlor[oform] for curettage + then motored to Sunderland Hall. Mrs P [Plummer] not any better and I went down again at night. Went to evening service. Choir sang some selections from [The] Messiah. Addressed Xmas cards to post tomorrow.

¹ See diary entry for 14 December 1919

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

Dull fresh day: raining at night. Had to go down early to Sunderland Hall. Then I walked out to So[uth] Common with Nancy, Barbara, Stewart, Louise + Tim¹ (on Don) to watch the hounds, the meet being at Haining: we saw very little of them as they only pottered about the woods. I came back before 2. It seems they had a good run after, from W Riddell². Saw some town cases in afternoon. Got a message to Mrs Lyall³, Lilliesleaf which David did.

¹ Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir and her children, Dr Muir’s grandchildren

² West Riddell Fox Covert, Lilliesleaf, between Clerklands and Whitmuir, is at grid reference NGR NT501,256

³ James Lyall, coachman, gardener and labourer, was at Corner Cottage, Riddell, Lilliesleaf, in 1919, presumably with his wife Janet Dodds (1863-1947), they had married at Fogo, 1881 [Valuation Roll, Statutory BMDs]

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

Nice day. Motored to Sunderland Hall (Mrs Plummer¹ very bad with Vertigo + sickness, probably [illegible] – hepatic) + on to Lowood² to see about Davidson³. Have not been along the road to Bridgend⁴ for over 52 years. Came back to Faldonside via Darnick to ask Jessie Boyd [to see how Jean ?] but she was away in Edinburgh. Saw some town cases in afternoon.

¹ See diary entry for 18 December 1919

² Henry Nicholas Middleton was the Proprietor of Lowood and Bridgend in the 1916 and 1920 Valuation Rolls; the estate (and its relative isolation) is shown on the Ordnance Roxburghshire 6 inch Sheets VII, 1863 and Sheet nIV, 1924 https://maps.nls.uk/view/74428467 and https://maps.nls.uk/view/76357184

³ Alex G Davidson, shepherd, was the Inhabitant Occupier of a “house, garden, and byre” at Bridgend, part of the Lowood estate [1920 Valuation Roll]

⁴ Bridgend is in the same area as Lowood, see footnote 1, both on the road to nowhere; one can see why Dr Muir might not have travelled that way for many years

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

Fine fresh day. Wind rising to a gale from S.W. in afternoon + some heavy blasts of rain + one of hail. Helen [Muir] went to Edinburgh with Mrs Mackintosh + met Barbara [Roberts] to do shopping. I got a message to see Mrs Scott Plummer¹. Motored to Mavisbank, Gibson + Lumgair, Sunderland Hall, Yair, Cannon Street + Forest Road [words deleted] after to Heathview. Went to meeting of Red X Committee. [The] Duchess, Smith, Mrs Smith, Pollok + Alexander². Minnie Brown elected Sec. Smith proposed “Central Council” + I affiliation. 3 voted for each + Duchess gave casting vote for latter. Result wired to Glasgow.

A little sprinkling of snow on Peat Law.

¹ The Editor assumes that this refers to Sophia Scott Plummer née Goff (about 1833-1921), widow of Charles Scott Plummer of Middlestead (about 1822-1880), rather than Muriel Grace Scott Plummer née Johnstone-Douglas (1874-1961), wife of Charles Henry Scott Plummer of Sunderland Hall (1859-1948)

² Margaret Alice Montagu Douglas Scott née Bridgeman (1872-1954), Duchess of Buccleuch, Patrick ‘Pat’ Smith (1858-1930), advocate and sheriff-substitute, sometime of The Firs, Selkirk, Alice Smith née Paterson (1863-1943), John Pollok (1858-1938), Town Clerk and Procurator Fiscal, Selkirk and David Carnegie Alexander, aka ‘Carnegie Alexander’ or ‘D.C.A.’ (1856-1928), solicitor – some of these individuals were given belated recognition of their contribution to the Red Cross and V.A.D. in ‘Selkirkshire V.A.D.s’, the Southern Reporter, 6 April 1922

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

Still mild + damp. Some rain. Gave Chlor[oform] to Netty [?] Hogg at the Home while D. [Dr David Graham] operated. Saw some cases + started to motor to Ashkirk Manse to see the housekeeper Mclair + actually met her cycling in here! Gave her a good row. Dined at Farmers’ Club. Saw some more cases after. Dunlop at Club.

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

I was knocking about the town all day + attended a J.P. Licensing Court at 12. Was twice at Bateman’s¹, Bleachfield Road + twice at Mrs Lawrie², Market Place, who was [threatened?] with an M.C. The Duchess rang me up at night wanting me to ‘phone Balfour. Newton Don, about the Y.A.D. [?] but I didn’t. Mrs Mackintosh came home. It was fair today + mild.

¹ The Bateman family were at 6a Bleachfield Road in 1919; William, woollen millworker and Hellen Murray, woollen darner had married 27 December 1912 at Bleachfield Road, and had children John Bateman (1915-) and David Charteris Graham Bateman (1918-), and after this date, Thomas Hume Bateman (1920-) [Statutory BMDs, Census and Valuation Roll]

² The Lawrie family were at 19 Market Place in 1919, William Lawrie was occupier though Robert Lawrie was the tenant, both were ironmongers; George Lawrie and Mary Orr Finlayson had married 29 October 1908 at Dunblane, and had children Elizabeth Robertson Laurie later Sanderson (1910-1997), Mary Orr Knox Lawrie (1913-?) and Kathaleen or Kathleen Orr Ewing Laurie later Robson (1915-2010) [Statutory BMDs, Census and Valuation Roll]

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

Damp drizzly mild day with heavier rain at night. Mrs Whitehead¹, Tower Street died this morning. I motored via Bleachfield Road, Pinegrove + Dunsdale to Bowhill, Sundhope + Scaurneuk. Went across to [the] Firs in afternoon + saw Smith² about the Red X [Cross] meeting. Jean Ballard had held up [delayed] a circular dated Nov. 27 till late on Sat. last when she sent it to me. This has muddled up things very much. Saw Minnie Brown³ + asked her to send out circulars for meeting on Thursday at 4. Went to Guild meeting in Church Hall + recited ‘Piper at Lucknow’⁴, ‘Boy in the Train’⁵, ‘The Idealist’⁶ + ‘The Whistle’.

¹ Isabella Whitehead née Murray (about 1837-1919), died 15 December 1919 at 24 Tower Street, Selkirk, aged 82, death certified by “John S Muir M.B. etc”; she was daughter of Thomas Murray, stocking maker, and Agnes Murray née Mitchell and the widow of John Whitehead, Mail Contractor

² Assume Patrick ‘Pat’ Smith (1858-1930), Advocate and sheriff-substitute, sometime of The Firs, Selkirk

³ Minnie Mackay Brown (1874-1966), a teacher before the war when she left for Egypt September 1915 as part of the Selkirk Voluntary Aid Detachment of the British Red Cross Society and served until 29 May 1919

⁴ ‘Piper at Lucknow’ by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), American Quaker poet and Abolitionist

⁵ ‘The Boy in the Train’ by Mary Campbell Smith (1869-1938), the poem of a child’s train journey to Kirkcaldy that starts “Whit wey does the engine say ‘Toot-toot’? | Is it feart to gang in the tunnel? | Whit wey is the furnace no pit oot | When the rain gangs doon the funnel?”

⁶ ‘The Idealist’ by Robert William Service (1874-1958), the story of a louse that ends “I die, but I do not care, | For I’ve lived in the head of a queen!”

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

A nice calm mild day + no rain. Met David at Hannay’s, Buccleuch Road + gave Violet¹ chlor[oform] for an exam[ination]. Saw town cases up to 12.30. Mrs Mack’s friends refused a P.M.² Finished posting Nov. into ledger. Dressed little Bobby Thomson’s + Willie Heatlie’s hands. Went to evening service with Helen. Jack + Nancy came to supper.

¹ Violet Hall Hannay née Mitchell (1868-1941) and Violet Mitchell Hannay (1900-1986) were at 27 Buccleuch Road, Selkirk in the 1911 Census, Mrs Hannay had married to John Hannay, wool sorter originally from Maxwelltown, Dumfriesshire, at Selkirk in 1898; Violet Hannay junior was a power loom weaver when she married David Brown Laurie, shoemaker, at Selkirk, 1925. It is more probable that it is Mrs Hannay being referred to, see diary entry for 21 December 1919

² Margaret McNamara née Butler ‘Mrs Mack’, widow of Austin McNamara, had died on the 13 December 1919 at 37 Chapel Street, aged 74, death certified by Dr John S Muir M.B.; she was the daughter of James Butler, carter, and Agnes Butler née Ruddy

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