Fine day with strong S.W. to N.W. wind. Made 10 town calls + then to Bridgelands + Yair + some more town calls returning. Got home about 2.30 to find message to Gilmanscleuch to see Linton’s baby. Motored up. Mrs Johnstone was in charge. Went on to Newburgh Cottages (Miss Mc?), Ettrick School, back to Ettrick Shaws (to find Miss A had left for Harrogate), General’s Bridge + Bella Henderson. I had finally got in at 7.30 when a message came to Jack Brown, Glebe Terrace. McCall called about a sting in [illegible]’s ear.

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

Very calm + warm day with very slight N.W. to N. air. Lovely evening clear sky: hazy during the day. Letter from Helen¹ at last describing her eventful journey. She is at a place on the Norfolk coast called Happisburgh. I saw 7 town cases + cycled to Newarkburn, Bowhill + Back o’ Hill, Howford² where I have not been for many years + never except on horseback. I walked from Whitehillbrae. It was to see a girl Scott who was run over by Usher’s motor on Sunday.³ Coming home I had a narrow shave with McKenzie on his motor bike below Hutlerburn. Bella⁴ has an inflamed foot + I made her rest it. Dined off boiled eggs &c which I cooked.

¹ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.

² Unidentified but assume in the Howford Moss area of Kirkhope; Dr Muir has struck south off the Howford to Hutlerburn road at Whitehillbrae (approximate grid reference NGR NT403244), see Ordnance Survey 6″ Selkirkshire Sheet XI, published 1863 https://maps.nls.uk/view/74428522/, and headed into the area of Howford Moss surrounded by Howford Hill, Cavers Hill and Hutlerburn Hill, see Selkirkshire Sheet XV, published 1863 https://maps.nls.uk/view/74428526/.

² Neither the girl Scott nor the driver Usher are identified but the incident was to have a lasting effect – see Dr Muir’s diary entry for 16 September 1922; it is possible that the child is the daughter of James Scott, shepherd, Inhabitant Occupier of a house at Howford, Kirkhope [1919 Valuation Roll, VR011700009-/219, Selkirk County, page 219 of 611].

³ Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (1873-?1952), Dr Muir’s housekeeper.

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

Weather the same + N.W. blowing Wind round to S.W. + rain from 9.30 till after three. Cycled to Longmoss before breakfast + there after met Dav. [Dr David Graham, co-partner] at the house + Scott’s, Mill Street [illegible] then cycled to Dunsdale + Spionkop. It was raining so hard[?] then that I gave up the idea of at trip to Windlestrawlaw which I had planned with P Brown. When it faired I cycled to General’s Bridge. David + Norah [Graham] left at 3 for Hawick in their car. I did some book work. Lot of excursionists in the town in large char-a-bancs. Got ¹/₂ doz eggs from the “Magic Cave”. The Hospital garden has been devastated by Wilson’s cows.

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

Weather same: dry + N.W. wind. Feet alright today except that except that the extensions of the leg were a little stiff. Gave chlor[oform] for a case of circumcision at Mitchell’s, West Port (child of a sister of Mrs M = Mrs Gardiner)¹. Went to morning service. Walked to Archie Robertson to ask for him + down to Wallis, Raeburn Place. Wrote Helen [Muir]. Saw Bella Henderson after 6: she looked moribund. Had high tea at Wellwood. Jack [Roberts] staying at Kellingley?

¹ Mrs Mitchell at Mitchell’s Close, West Port, Selkirk, was Margaret Simpson ‘Maggie’ Mitchell née Stoddart, wife of Alexander Mitchell, engineer, and her sister was Jane Gardiner nee Stoddart, wife of Bryce Gardiner, engineer; her usual residence was given as “Mitchell’s Close, West Port”, on her marriage certificate, 1915

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

Rose 4 + left in Tricar with Archie Robertson for Hawick. Trained to Bellingham. Just crowds owing to Hawick holidays. Breakfasted + left at 9.21 going to Wark, Barrasford, Ridsdale, Woodburn, Elishaw + Jedburgh¹. Fine morning. Slight shower at 5 Lane End². After Elishaw strong N.W. gale made riding most difficult + Archie Robertson got knocked up². It was a terrific struggle to the Carter [Bar] + a lot of walking. Beyond [illegible] I pushed on ahead + phoned from Jedburgh for Baptie to meet us. He picked up Archie about Harrietsfield + they made up to me a mile this side St Boswells; at Smedheugh a tyre went down + I rode home⁴. The cyclometer on B.S.A. exaggerates but I calculate I did 62 miles.

¹ The pair have taken the Border Counties Railway via Riccarton Junction, Saughtree, Kielder and the North Tyne to Bellingham and then cycled a little further south to just beyond Barrasford before coming up to Dere Street at Five Lane Ends and then joining the A68 at Elishaw, passing very close to their railway terminus when they went through Woodburn

² Five Lane Ends, grid reference NT951,745, is where the Hexham / Chollerton road meets Dere Street coming up from Corbridge

³ Definitions include tired, jaded, worn out

⁴ It appears they came back from St Boswells via what is now the A699 and so by the time the tyre gave way at Smedheugh they were not far from home

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

No more rain but a slight drizzle in the evening. Dull, windy + cool W.N.W. Saw 14 town cases walking before 1.30. Got the day book all lined up for August + made preparation for early start tomorrow with Archie Robertson. Pollok called about the proposed expenditure on church and manse.

¹ John Pollok, Procurator Fiscal

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

Glass [barometer] falling. Wind S.W., a change impending but a fine morning. Rose 6.10 + left at 8.15. Singlie, Inch + Ettrick School house to see Robert Laidlaw + Mrs Russell. Called for Mrs Brunton, Ettrick P.O. [Post Office] but found she was in Glasgow¹. It was very stiff work against the wind + I took 2 h 20 m to do the 18.5 miles. Found Mrs Russell fairly well but very feeble. At P.O. got message to General’s Bridge + came back that way at the rate of 13.5 p.h. [miles per hour]. Passed Major McDonald walking down from Feus + called at Mauldsheugh to announce his coming. Called at Ballantyne, Glebe Terrace, Got home at 1.30. Changed: had tea, a look at papers + then to the books [accounts]. It began to rain about 3 + then was a heavy fall for a couple of hours but it cleared before dark.

¹ Jane Brunton was the postmistress at Ramsaycleuch, Ettrick [1920 Valuation Roll]

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

The weather is all that could be desired but for the serious want of rain. The Barometer which for nearly a week stood at 29.7 fell today 0.05. + the wind went from N.E. to nearly N.W. what was of it. There is very little to do. I saw 2 town cases + cycled to Bowhill, Linglie Mill + Bridgelands + then saw ¹/₂ doz. town cases walking. Got the T.R. & I.S. accounts sent away. David [Graham] was at Newarkburn + Altrieve taking Joe Cotterill with him.

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

Weather the same + Barometer steady for days at 29.7. Saw some town cases + cycled to Altrieve. It is 15.75 [miles] there. It was pretty hot going but pleasant coming back against the N.E. breeze. David [Graham, co-partner] to was at a Pension Board + took the Swift [car] as a spring of his own car broke yesterday. Had a meeting of War Memorial Sub. Com^ttee at which it was resolved to ask Sir Robert Lorimer¹ to see the site + give advice. Went down to Wellwood after. Barbara [Roberts] back with a friend named Crawford.

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; Selkirk could be argued to be ‘punching above its weight’ commissioning Lorimer, whose war memorials include the three great Royal Naval monuments to the missing at Plymouth, Chatham and Portsmouth as well as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Doiran Memorial to the dead and missing of the British Salonika Force in Macedonia and Serbia

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

Drought continues: N.E. dull all day till 4 or 5 when the clouds chased away + it was a lovely evening. Saw town list of 13. David [Graham] came up at 2.30 + we went over a lot of the cases + fixed time for some of the operations &c. Letter from Helen [Muir] who got to Charley [?] all right. She enjoyed her run to Carlisle in the car.

Took B.S.A. [bicycle] to Stark + Murray as the locking screw doesn’t work + the gear wire needs tightening.

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