Helen Adelaide Lamb (1893-1981), born Prestwick, Lamb studied at Glasgow Art School, and taught Art at St Columba’s School, Kilmacolm, from 1918-1949. A ‘Glasgow Girl’ artist, calligrapher and teacher, she was part of the Scottish embroidery revival. The Church of Scotland acquired the rights, 1927, to print copies of her cradle roll (see below). Lamb was commissioned to produce the Church of Scotland’s Loyal Addresses to King Edward VIII, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, all of which are conserved in Windsor Castle. She died at Dunblane, where she had a studio.

[Illustrations: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service CH2/1552/38, records of Yarrow Kirk Session, Selkirkshire]

A bitterly cold NE wind with one or two transient snow showers. Walked round the town I was finished by 2. Wrote Jean, Blair + Caton (Liverpool) re Pilot¹. Began to prepare for this quarter’s accounts by writing the dates + names on the billheads. Dav [Dr David Graham, co-partner] was at Yair in forenoon + at the Hydro and Faldonside in the afternoon + he had a confinement (Hislop, Forest Road²) in evening. I was very pleased to get a message to Philiphaugh Farm to see Mrs Brown’s daughter. Mrs B is a sister of the late Laurie [?] Scott.

¹ See previous tweets for references to Dr Muir’s concerns about Dr Pilot, his daughter Dora’s supposed fiancé who was in fact already married

² Charles Jasper Knowles Hislop, born 12 March 1919, Forest Road, Selkirk, son of William Hislop, woollen warper, and Janet Hislop née Knowles, married 1 January 1914

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

Fair today. Scarcely a trace of snow left. None on Foulshiels or Newark but plenty on Windlestrawlaw, Blackhouse &c¹. Roads drying but most filthy on the low ground. At 9.30 gave Matt Wallace chlor[oform] at Mauldsheugh for D [Dr David Graham] to open a palmar [cellulitis – see reader’s contribution below]. Cycled there + to Faldonside + after tea to Smedheugh. William Cape died this morning². Helen [Muir] spent the evening at Elmpark with Agnes Durnford.

¹ Assume Windlestraw Law, Innerleithen, grid reference NT371,431 and Blackhouse Heights, Yarrow, NGR NT222,290

² William Stoddart Cape, railway surfaceman, single, son of William Cape, head game and park keeper, and Jessie Cape née Stoddart, died 11 March 1919, aged 43, at 12 Elm Row, Selkirk, usual residence Over Roxburgh, Roxburgh, of influenza 5 days, pneumonia 5 days, certified by Dr 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]

A wretched day of rain + east wind. Snow nearly gone. Cape very ill: delirious. Saw him 4 times. William Colledge had a very sudden acute appendicitis + D [Dr David Graham] operated on him at 4.30. I motored in town + to Mathewson, Faldonside.

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

Steady quiet thaw + a great deal of the snow disappeared. There was some sunshine. Was down to breakfast + made a round of twelve before 1. William Cape, Elmrow, has pneumonia + I saw him again at night. Was not at church. Had a fire in the dining room. David was at Caddonlee¹.

¹ Grid reference NGR NT443,355 and see Ordnance Survey 6 inch Selkirkshire Sheet VII.NE, published 1900

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

More snow during last night + everything thickly covered. The frost however had gone + there was slush on the streets. Fortunately no drifting. Feeling my larynx rather painful. I kept my bed all day. Dav [Dr David Graham] had to go to Whitehillshiels + also to Melrose Hydro. It was a most unfavourable day for the former¹. There wasn’t much to do in the town. At night I had flatulent dyspepsia.

¹ Dr Muir’s comment is accurate, Whitehillshiels, Kirkhope, grid reference NGR NT363,189 is extremely isolated deep among the hills south of Hyndhope

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

Snowing the whole day almost without interruption: the worst indeed the only real snow of the winter. There was a [word deleted] NE wind but not enough I should think to cause any drifting. At 9.20 at Mauldsheugh David operated on Lizzie Neil [?] for appendicitis very skilfully. There was faecal matter in the appendix + a little pus. Then I walked along to Dunsdale, Raeburn Place &c + then to see Miss Dunn + [one or two others ?]. Lit the gas stove in my room + made a beginning of a long delayed clearing up.

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

Hoar frost + a sunny morning but it became [cloudy?] fresh + some rain. Wind W cold. I have a severe coryza¹ with much coughing + sneezing. D [Dr David Graham] had to go to pension board at Newtown + came back by Synton Mill + Ashkirktown. I was in the town + finished by 2 o’clock making 13 visits.

¹ Catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membrane in the nose, caused especially by a cold or by hay fever [Oxford Dictionaries]

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

Anticipating this weekend’s rugby internationals here’s a strong image by Thomas Curr (1887-1958), one of Scotland’s finest commercial artists who, after war service as Lieutenant, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, B.E.F., worked briefly for prestigious London-based Canadian co-operative Carlton Studio and then for the rest of his career for Edinburgh-based McLagan and Cumming. The archive of Peter Scott & Co. at Scottish Borders Archives has a book of 1910s-1920s commercial artwork which includes a number of items by Curr, including the illustration below.

Information courtesy of Dr Sandy Brewer of Oxford Brookes University who will be publishing more on Tom Curr later this year.

[Illustration: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/512/McLagan & Cumming Block File Book]

A splendid sunny day like Monday. Some hoar frost which never melted in the shade. Roads getting quite good. Wind shifted from NW to NE but very calm. Cycled eastwards making 12 visits + then on to Bridgelands (Cockburn)¹, Fairnilea Cottages, Yair Bridge, Yair, Tower Street + Kilncroft (Mrs Gutridge whom Dav. attended at confinement this morning²). After tea finished posting February [accounts]. D [Dr David Graham] was at Whitehillbrae and Rinkhope + then at Melrose Hydro. Helen [Muir] + [Mary ?] had a walk to the Racecourse. Letter from Patrick³ of date January 19^th.

¹ This probably refers to Elizabeth Roberts Cockburn, daughter of Adam Telfer Cockburn, ploughman, and Jane Cockburn née White, died 9 March 1919, aged 5 months, at Bridgelands, Selkirk, of acute meningitis, certified by Dr John Stewart Muir M.B.

² James Edward Gutridge, son of Edward, woollen millworker, and Elizabeth Dalgleish Gutridge née Hogg, married 28 April 1918; born 5 March 1919 at Kilncroft, Selkirk; curiously Gutridge was registered at birth as Edwin; at his marriage he was described as an ironmoulder and 3473 Serjeant 18th Queen Mary’s Own Huzzars and resident of Bowhill Auxiliary Hospital, he was originally from Hartlepool

³ Patrick Rodger Stewart ‘Pat’ Muir (1879-1961), Dr Muir’s only son, living in New Zealand since 1902

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