There had evidently been a quiet heavy fall of snow during the night as everything was covered thick this morning. The trees were very beautiful. It was freezing + the streets never became slushy. I saw eleven town cases walking + was not out of the house after 1 o’clock. Wrote Jean and Dora [Muir]. Rob. Marshall came in with a bruised shoulder, having fallen [illegible] down the Green. A lad Gardener was sent into Hospital by Menzies + bolted when Matron was at supper. Spent a long time weeding out index cards of Panel patients who had left or died + arranging alphabetically new ones I had got.

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

A wintry day. Steady fall of snow all forenoon + up till about 2. Hard frost. No wind. Nancy + Helen¹ left about midday for St Abbs. I motored to Bowhill + Lewinshope. Called for Jack [Roberts] between 1 + 2. Got the Oct + Nov Blackwoods [Magazine] + finished Storer Clouston’s story “Simon”². Had some ledger work after lunch. Got Buenos Ayres, winter Dividend: £23 10 5 + banked it³. Walt. Hill⁴, Briarbank died.

¹ Agnes ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir and Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), two of Dr Muir’s daughters

² Joseph Storer ‘J Storer’ Clouston (1870-1944), Orcadian author and historian; his book ‘Simon’ was published in 1919, two years after perhaps his best known work ‘The Spy in Black’ (1917) which was made into a film (1939) by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

³ Assume the Buenos Ayres & Pacific Railway Company Ltd; the business’s archives 1883-1964 are amongst University College London’s Special Collections

⁴ Walter ‘Walt’ Hill, farmer, of Briarbank, Selkirk, died of “malignant disease of stomach several months”, death certified by J S Muir; he was the son of John Hill, farmer and Mary Hill née Riddell and unmarried

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

Very cold. Good sprinkling of snow all over. Freezing hard at night, slush during day. I became owner of Viewfield at the price of £1800 plus £54 9 0 of expenses paid also for Duty etc. Had to draw £150 from M + G [Muir and Graham co-partnery]. David’s car wouldn’t start + he took the Swift to Ettrick Shaws where he + Norah were lunching. Attended meeting of the Memorial Sub + full Committee at which it was decided to go on with Lorimer design¹.

¹ The Selkirk War Memorial, Ettrick Terrace, Selkirk, unveiled in 1922, was designed by architect Sir Robert Stodart Lorimer, KBE (1864-1929), Scottish architect and designer; see also 29 July 1919 diary entry

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

Some sharp blasts of snow in forenoon + evening + freezing at night. Snow melted on roads at first. Motored to Bowhill + Briarbank + saw 7 town cases. Mrs Ordish improving. Went to meeting of Panel Committee at Galashiels. All there but Doig¹. Got back a little after 6. Nancy [Roberts née Muir] came back from Moffat.

¹ Perhaps William Doig M.D. (Edin.), of Roxburgh Street, Galashiels [Galashiels Almanac and Directory]

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

A thin covering of snow all over. S.E. + then E. Soft + streets very slushy. Dav. [David Graham, co-partner] had arranged an op. for 9.30 so had made my plans accordingly but he changed it till 3 + upset them. Walked to Goslaw Green + Curror Street + motored to Briarbank, Heathpark [?] + Beechwood. Dav. removed a small Lipoma from Mrs Alex^r Dick’s [illegible]. He had diagnosed a hernia. Did not get to church. Mrs John Pringle, West Port died suddenly¹. Mrs Mack + Rita at supper. Helen [Muir] lunched at Elmpark. Some sleet + rain.

¹ Margaret Pringle née Johnstone, wife of John Pringle, fishing tackle maker, died 9 November 1919 at 1 West Port, Selkirk, aged 64, of Pericarditis 3 days certified by John Stewart Muir M.B.

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

Snow lying on hills + on golf course. Cycled round town + saw 10 cases + went on to Bowhill where I had an interview with the Duchess and had a glass of sherry from Simpson. Roads rather muddy. In afternoon walked to Briarbank (Walt. Hill much worse) + Whitmuir to deliver communion cards to the Halls but found they lived at the Whitmuirhall dairy + had to go there. It was dark when I got back. Had 18 or 19 people in the surgery at night + had to attend Mrs J Riddell, Backrow after dinner. The child (premature) was born on the floor! S.W.

¹ Simpson is not identified but must be a key member of the Scott’s household

¹ Walter Hill, retired farmer, aged 62, of Briarbank, Selkirk was suffering from stomach cancer

¹ William Hall, dairyman, was inhabitant at Whitmuir; the proprietor was Charles Walter Dunlop and tenant Andrew Ormiston, farmer of Houdshall, Selkirk [1920 Valuation Roll]

¹ Not identified

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

Same dull damp calm weather not much rain till the evening. Was called up at 2 a.m. for Robt Tait, Goslaw Green with retention + again at 9.30. Motored to Bowhill + found Mrs Ordish much better. T. [temperature] 99.4. Saw some town cases + after lunch gave chlor[oform] for an excision of breast at the home. Nurse Turnbull (Rinkhope) in charge. Delivered my communion cards. Had high tea with Mrs Milne at Bridgeheugh at 6 + took the chair at a concert at Lindean School to raise funds for a piano¹. [I] recited Whistle, Pill & Bottle. Saw Mrs Milne² to Bridgelands where she was staying all night. Raining all the way home.

¹ There is an advertisement for “Concert by Mr A Reekie and Party” [Southern Reporter, 6th November 1919] and a detailed report which notes that Dr Muir “genially presided” and performed two recitations [Southern Reporter, 13th November]

² Mrs Mary Milne was at Bridgeheugh farmhouse, 1919 Valuation Roll

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

Gave Mrs Mellalieu Scopolamine, atrop + morph[ine]. Probably ¹/₄ gr of the latter was too much as the pains were arrested. Gave chlor[oform] + delivered at 9.30 a.m. a d. [daughter¹]. Got some sleep in an easy chair. Motored to Bowhill + thought Mrs Ordish² less well. Was called back to see her at night when she had a temp. of 103^o. Some of the family arrived today³. Called for Mrs Steedman⁴ who has been in bed for a fortnight. David [Graham, co-partner] was at Ovenscloss. Mrs Mackintosh + Rita came to tea.

¹ Dorothy Mary Mellalieu, daughter of William Norman Mellalieu, music teacher, and Judith Anne Mellalieu née Hardwick, born 6 November 1919 at Roseneuk, The Glebe, Selkirk; her parents had married 1 September 1915 at Bebington, Cheshire

² Hannah Ordish (about 1845-1920), housekeeper at Bowhill

³ The Editor assumes that this refers to the anticipated visit of the Scott family, proprietors of Bowhill, see diary entry for 29 October 1919

⁴ Perhaps Mrs Mary Isabella Jameson Steedman née Hay, widow of James Strathearn Steedman, solicitor, who had died in 1918

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

Same dull damp weather but very calm. Was called up at 3 a.m. about Mrs Jo. Thomson¹, Pine Cottages. Saw 9 town cases in forenoon. Was called to Mrs Mellalieu¹, the Glebe in afternoon. Came back for my bag + then got hurried message to Mrs Brown¹, Dunreay, whom I found comatose with cerebral Haem. + she died at 6.30. Mrs Mellalieu kept me hanging on all evening. Came up for dinner + went back to remain till she was better.

¹ Margaret Thomson, widow, lived at Pine Cottage, 6 Tait’s Hill, Selkirk [1919 Valuation Roll]

¹ Judith Anne Mellalieu née Hardwick, see diary entry for 6 November 1919

¹ Wilhelmina Alexa Brown née Mackay, wife of Andrew Brown, hosiery manufacturer, died 5 November 1919 at Dunreay, Selkirk, aged 79, of cerebral haemorrhage “3¹/₂ hours”, death certified by John Stewart Muir M.B.

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

Calm dull damp day N.E. Rained all afternoon + evening. David [Graham, co-partner] motored to Edinburgh. I saw 11 town cases + finished by 1. Helen + Nancy¹ went over to the Patons from whom Nancy was buying two chairs². Finished pasting October. Baptie³ got the new gooseberries + rasps planted + was digging up the old ones.

¹ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s daughter and wife of John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior

² Paton, Isabella Clementina ‘Isa’ (1838-1929) and Marion Agnes Paton (about 1841-1940), sisters living on their own means [1901 Census] but, to judge by the community appeal for funds to assist in their flit to Galashiels in May 1918, they suffered to fate of many before the Welfare State who tried to survive on a fixed or limited income

³ Thomas Baptie (1860-1929), driver and handyman for Dr Muir

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