A calm mild day with sunshine in afternoon. Cycled to Wellwood + Sunderland Hall before [word deleted] church. Helen [Muir] + I went to morning + evening service. In the morning Mrs Paterson of the Scott. Nat. Bible Soc. gave a most interesting + inspiring address¹. Mrs Mackintosh² came to supper + produced a bottle of Port + a lot of apples + tomatoes. I made out some more accounts.

¹ Up to 1888 the Scottish National Bible Society (now the Scottish Bible Society) had issued 4¹/₂ million bibles [‘Parliamentary Debates, Volume 62’, the New Zealand Parliament]

² Agnes Mackintosh, née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk, aka ‘the Magic Cave’

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

With a high + rising glass [barometer] + S.W. wind it was  cloudy all day but mild. The sun never came out at all. I saw Lady Napier + cycled to Philiphaugh + saw Mrs S + had a long crack with Sam¹. Spent all the afternoon at the accounts + got as far as [the letter] G. There was a message to Scott, Sunderland Hall which David [Graham, co-partner] did after he had been to Lilliesleaf + Dryden. Nancy sent for me. She was up but feeling unusually drowsy.
From “Magic Cave” 2 [illegible] + heather honey

¹ The Hon. Vere Mabel Strang Steel (1889-1964) and Samuel Strang Steel (1882-1961), 1st Baronet, J.P. and Lord-Lieutenant of Selkirk

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

Lovely morning + forenoon, calm + warm but cloudy + colder afternoon. No rain [wind] S.W. Message to Mrs Steel, Philiphaugh. Sam, who has been stranded in Sutherland, comes back today¹. Cycled there + back by Home. Paid some accounts + after lunch began accounts + finished [the letter] B. Tina¹ + Jean [Muir] left this morning by a train at 10 + hoped to get to Hamilton some time today.
From “Magic Cave” a chicken

¹ The Hon. Vere Mabel Strang Steel (1889-1964) and Samuel Strang Steel (1882-1961), 1st Baronet, J.P. and Lord-Lieutenant of Selkirk

² Presumably the Christine (or Christina) Patrick referred to in Dr Muir’s diary entry for 20th and 25th September 1919 (she is otherwise unidentified)

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

A very fine day. Sunshine nearly all day + a slight N.W. wind. Clear starlight at night. More trains running : there were 3 each way on our line. Cycled to Wellwood, Pinegrove, Mavisbank + Anderson Road + then Dav. [Dr David Graham] came up + we spent 3 [?] hours going over the ledger. Then I saw some more town cases + got the ledger completed for sending out last quarter’s accounts. Mrs Mackintosh came home. Jean + Helen [Muir] went to the Picture House. Was called at 10 p.m. to Mrs Alexander Harper, Kirkwynd, but did not stay.

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

Calm dull morning. Wind S. Very dark in afternoon + raining. 3 operations at Mauldsheugh. An excision of breast in a Mrs Elliot, Lilliesleaf: fistula in May Pearson + tonsils in a child of Jack Brown: then D. [Dr David Graham] motored Alice Smith + me to Fauldshope + examined the baby. Saw some town cases after. Posted Sept[ember] into ledger. Nancy going on all right but keeping to her bed. Jack motored Jock to School + took in a Mail². Norah [Graham?] went with him.

¹ Assume Alice Barbara Stewart Smith (1892-1970) of the Firs, Selkirk, daughter of Patrick Smith (1858-1930), advocate, and Alice Smith née Paterson (1863-1943); she qualified M.B., Ch.B., worked as a ‘missionary doctor’ and died in India aged almost 80

² The editors assume that this is Jack Roberts junior, John ‘Jock’ Roberts (1904-1950) his eldest son and Norah Graham, Dr Graham’s wife; the two adults helping out during the rail strike by taking a consignment of mail which would normally have been moved by train

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

Dull windy morning W. [wind]. Some sunshine in afternoon. Rather cold: no rain. Helen + I breakfasted alone the first time since July 24^th. Cycled in town, Brown + Allan, Sunderland Hall + Yair. Railway strike chief topic in paper. A fair number of trains are running. Nancy¹ had a fall from her horse on Gala Rigg + had slight concussion. Dav. [Graham] who had seen Mitchell coming in leading her horse went out to Whitmuirhall Toll + brought her home. Got books all right for October.

¹ Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter

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

Great Railway Strike

There had been some rain in the early morning + the day was dull + chilly though the wind was back in S.W. I had not a single message. Saw Lady Napier + one or two others + walked out to Briarbank. Gladys Hardinge left after lunch in a motor sent by Mr Cowan. We got our Scotsman as usual this morning. It is full of the Railway Strike. I wrote May, Guy, Lady Belhaven, Mrs McDonald + sent of [sic] subscriptions to a lot of charities amounting to £9. 15. 0.

¹ Margaret Graham ‘May’ Lang (1861-1958)

² Gavin Struthers ‘Guy’ Muir (1846-1927), United Free Church of Scotland minister and Dr Muir’s brother

³ Assume Georgiana Katharine Hamilton née Richmond, Baroness Belhaven (d.1932), wife of Colonel Alexander Charles Hamilton, 10th Lord Belhaven and Stenton; it is not obvious why Dr Muir would have been writing to her

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

A perfect day, calm clear + sunny up till 4 after which it got duller. There was heavy hoar frost in the morning. [words deleted] I made the mistake of changing the clocks last night from Summer to normal time + we were a little confused this morning. Saw Lady Napier + went to church with Hardinge¹ + after I took her for a good sharp walk to the Gala Rigg from which the view was very fine. After lunch I measured the ground at the foot of the tennis green + the new wall. Went alone to evening service. Nancy + Jock² supped here. Jack³ still at Lilliesleaf.

¹Gladys Harding was a friend of Helen Muir’s

² Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter and John ‘Jock’ Roberts (1904-1950), her eldest son

³ John Roberts junior ‘Jack’ (1876-1966), mill owner and Provost of Selkirk, later knighted “for political and public services in Selkirk”, married to Nancy, above

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

A clear sharp day with only a slight shower + very little wind N.W. Was called out at 6.30 to see Johnny Laidlaw as Dav. [David Graham, co-partner] had not returned from Thirlestane. Saw 8 town cases, Heather & Ettrick Mills + Hospital cycling. To my surprise Lord Napier ‘phoned his regret + apologies for his conduct on Thursday¹. Helen + Hardinge² cycled to Abbotsford + Melrose. I had a crowd of people in from 6 to 7.30. The Railway Strike began + the papers came by motor from Edinburgh. There was only a local mail.

¹ Francis Edward Basil Napier (1876-1941), 12th Lord Napier and 3rd Lord Ettrick – see Dr Muir’s diary for 25 September 1919

² Gladys Harding was a friend of Helen Muir’s

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

Very heavy rain in the early morning + violent blasts all day from W to N.W. [wind] with bright chinks between. Frank [Muir] left this morning for Edinburgh by the 10.40. Helen [Muir] + Harding saw him off. I saw Lady Napier cycling + walked to Mavisbank, O.B.R. [Old Bridge Road], West Port + Tower Street. Then motored to Briarbank + Prieston. Did some ledger work in afternoon + was called out to Jan. Scott, Chapel Street. David [Graham] was called to Thirlestane in the evening to see Lord N.¹ + I had to go down to see Johnny Laidlaw.

¹ Francis Edward Basil Napier (1876-1941), 12th Lord Napier and 3rd Lord Ettrick – see Dr Muir’s diary for 25 September 1919

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