Fresh day + fair with glints of sunshine. Motored to Hospital + when I was there the little girl Paterson from Gala with Diph. died.¹ Went to [?] Whitmuir + then at 11.30 motored with Jack + Nancy² to Greenriver³ to see Mrs Milne⁴ + W Bowden.⁵ Jack kindly ran me up to Wollrigg.⁶ They have renamed Greenriver by its original name – Hobsburn. It is a nice old house + they have done a lot to it : a new kitchen range, electric lights etc. The grounds were very neglected + they are gradually putting them right. We had lunch + tea + left about 6. Mrs M. + W. B. go back to Africa in about a fortnight.⁷ Jack + Nancy came to supper, + Mrs Mack.⁸

¹ Margaret Paterson (1916-1923) died 21 January 1923, aged six, of “Diphtheria 8 days” at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Selkirk, usual residence 16 Damside, Galashiels. She was the daughter of Joseph Paterson, woollen millworker employed in 1921 by Robert Sanderson tweed manufacturers and sometime Lance Corporal 151167 [other sources give 20018], 2nd Royal Scots, and Jessie Paterson née Douglas. They had married 17 October 1902 at Galashiels.

² John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior (1876-1966) and Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter.

³ Greenriver or Hobsburn, Hobkirk, grid reference NGR NT58223,11942, just east of the centre of Bonchester. Shown as Greenriver as far back as at least the Ordnance Survey 25 inch Roxburghshire Sheet XXVI.10 (Hobkirk), published 1860.

⁴ Mary Lee Davis Milne née Bowden (about 1873-1948), Serbian Cross of Mercy, St George’s Medal, sometime cook with Scottish Women’s Hospitals and at Bridgeheugh, Selkirk between 1913 and 1922 but flitted to Hobkirk around 1922. The daughter of the Reverend John Davis Bowden and Barbara [? Cranston], she had married the Reverend James Alexander Milne (d.1909) on 7 August 1906 at St Oswald’s Church, Montpelier, Edinburgh [Morningside, 685/6 204], at which time her address was recorded as Dresden, Saxony.

⁵ William Douglas Davis Bowden (1875-1944), brother of Mary Lee Milne. Born 22 June 1875, Edinburgh, died 24 April 1944, Hobsburn, Hobkirk, Roxburghshire. He was a civil servant and worked in Sierra Leone.

⁶ Woll Rigg, Ashkirk, where Dr Muir may well have been visiting William Dewar who had his hand lacerated when sawing a branch off a tree on 28 November 1922.

⁷ William Bowden and Mary Milne, port of embarkation Freetown, were recorded on the inbound Lagos to Liverpool route of the British and African Steam Navigation Company’s M.S. Aba, Official Number: 141887, date of arrival 2 October 1922 [source: UK and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960. The Editor has been unable to find an equivalent outbound voyage in 1923.

⁸ Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]

What an interesting 3 days! 18^th, summer: 19^th Sou’ Wester + rain, 20^th frost: + keen N.W. wind + a shower of snow. Dav.¹ went to Ed. to see the football match Scotland v France.² I motored to Hospital, Sloebank³ + Ettrick Terrace + out to Whitmuir. Came back + got warmed + gave Baptie⁴ + self a cup of hot Bovril + then went to Mount Benger.⁵ James Mitchell⁶ not improving. Got back about 2.45 + after had to go across to Viewfield to see Miss McBride.⁷ Scotland beat France 13 – 6.⁸ Helen⁹ had Mrs Falconer, Thornfield¹⁰ at tea. Ploughing match at Whitehope.¹¹

¹ David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., Ch.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner.

² The Scotland vs France fixture was played, as was usual at this time, at Inverleith, Edinburgh. W E Bryce of Selkirk was in the Scotland team alongside two other representatives of Borders teams – D S Davies of Hawick and J R Lawrie of Melrose [source: Kenneth R Bogle, ‘Scottish Rugby Game by Game’, Luath Press, Edinburgh, 2013].

³ Sloethornbank, Selkirk, looking down over St Mary’s Mill from Ettrick Terrace and shown as Sloethorn Bank on the Ordnance Survey 25 inch Selkirkshire sheet XII.1, published 1899.

⁴ Thomas Baptie (1860-1929), driver and handyman for Dr Muir.

⁵ The Editor assumes by Mountbenger Dr Muir means on the way to Henderland, Megget, north of St Mary’s Loch, grid reference NGR NT232,233, where he had been attending the Mitchell family since late 1921.

⁶ In the 1921 Census the family comprised James Mitchell senior aged 67, James Mitchell junior, 35, Mary Richardson Mitchell, 33, Eliza Dalgleish Mitchell, 25, and Isabella Shiel Mitchell, 26.

⁷ Miss McBride is unidentified.

⁸ Dr Muir has his numbers transposed. Scotland won 16:3 with tries by Edward ‘Teddy’ McLaren (2), William ‘Willie’ Bryce and Eric Liddell and two conversions by Daniel ‘Dan’ Drysdale.

⁹ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.

¹⁰ Miss Falconer is unidentified but may conceivably be the same Catherine Falconer (aged 19, nursemaid, born Ardclach, Nairn) recorded working for William Clayton Dundas at Hillside Terrace, Selkirk, 1921 Census who, in that case, was working for the Roberts family of Thornfield, Selkirk by 1923 – though it is not clear from the 1921 Census at Thornfield that a nursemaid would have been required but that was two years previous [Valuation Roll and 1921 Census].

¹¹ Whitehope, Yarrow, Selkirkshire.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]

Walked to Hospital (little girl Paterson¹ from Gala very ill) + Goslaw Green + then cycled to Whitmuir. There was a stiff S.W. wind + slight drizzle which by the afternoon developed into a Sou’ Wester + heavy rain, later N.W. + fair. Did Hospital a second time + message to Minnie Brown, Dunreay.² Went to a concert by Mrs Kennedy Fraser + her sister.³ The latter a magnificent singer. They have a lot of Hebridean songs.⁴ There was a very poor turn out. Saw Mrs Mack home.⁵

¹ This refers to Margaret Paterson (1916-) of Damside, Galashiels, the daughter of Joseph Paterson, woollen millworker employed in 1921 by Robert Sanderson tweed manufacturers and sometime Lance Corporal 151167 [sic, sources give 20018], 2nd Royal Scots, and Jessie Paterson née Douglas, married 17 October 1902 at Galashiels.

² Minnie Mackay Brown (1874-1966), teacher and sometime V.A.D. nurse who served in Egypt and France 1916-1919.

³ Marjory Kennedy Fraser (1857-1930), C.B.E., Scottish singer, composer, music teacher, recorder of Gaelic traditional songs and advocate for women’s suffrage and pacifism, and her sister Margaret Kennedy Fraser (1889-,

⁴ Margaret Kennedy (about 1866-), musician, was recorded by the Southern Reporter as singing on this occasion with her sister Marjory Kennedy Fraser, though often Marjory’s singing partner was her her own daughter Helen ‘Patuffa’ Fraser, sometimes Kennedy-Fraser, later Hood (1889-1967), harpist.

⁵ Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]

Delightful summer like day : calm sunny : duller in afternoon. Willie Thomson came down from Pine Cottage about his sister Nelly¹ at 2.30 a.m. saw her early, cycling, + went down to Hospital + Sloebank.² Then I had a delightful walk to Whitmuir (Mrs Neil T.100 but no bad symptoms³) + Curling.⁴ Got back at 3.20 via Castle Street. Went down to Hospital a second time at 6, a little girl from Gala Rig ill with Diphtheria.⁵

¹ Pine Cottage is not identified but the best matches for the individuals are William Thomson (about 1892-), stone mason and Nellie Thomson (about 1900-), weaver who both lived with their mother at 6 Tait’s Hill, Selkirk (identified in other sources as Pine Cottage).

² Sloethornbank, Selkirk, looking down over St Mary’s Mill from Ettrick Terrace and shown as Sloethorn Bank on the Ordnance Survey 25 inch Selkirkshire sheet XII.1, published 1899.

³ Christina Neil née Scott of Whitmuir who had given birth to a daughter on 16 January 1923.

⁴ Curling, Bowden, Roxburghshire, grid reference NGR NT517,261, visible on Ordnance Survey 25 inch Roxburghshire Sheet nXII.5, published 1921.

⁵ This refers to Margaret Paterson (1916-) of Damside, Galashiels, the daughter of Joseph Paterson, woollen millworker employed in 1921 by Robert Sanderson tweed manufacturers and sometime Lance Corporal 151167 [sic, sources give 20018], 2nd Royal Scots, and Jessie Paterson née Douglas, married 17 October 1902 at Galashiels. She was very much a ‘late baby’ with her four siblings born between 1903 and 1909 and her father was approaching 50 when she was born.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]

Drier today but calm and mild + less mist. Adam Neil came in at 5 about his wife¹ and I got Dav.² to go out with me between 9 + 10. We gave her an intra-uterine douche + a hypo of pituitrine. Her temp. was normal but she had 2 labial antip. [?]. However in the evening her temp. was only 99.4 + I gave her a hypo of Heroin as she had not slept.³ I attended meeting of Hospital Comm^ttee (Visiting) at which I breached the subject of payment for the Galashiels cases to which there was no objection. Helen⁴ + Mrs Mack⁵ went to a musical + elocutionary [?] recital in the Victoria Hall for the lunch.⁶

¹ Adam Grey Neil, forester and joiner, and Christina Neil née Scott who had married 4 April 1919 at Oxnam [birth: 1923 78 / 2, Selkirk].

² David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), medical practitioner and Norah Graham née West (1887-1971).

³ Christina Neil née Scott had given birth to a daughter on 16 January 1923.

⁴ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.

⁵ Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk.

⁶ This event does not appear to have been recorded in the Southern Reporter.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]

Was called up at 5 a.m. for Mrs Adam Neil, Whitmuir who had a d. [daughter] before I arrived.¹ The placenta was adherent + I had to give Chlor[oform] to remove part of it. Went back in afternoon + douched her. Mrs Miller died this forenoon.² I saw her before breakfast. Did a small town list in forenoon. Was called at 4.30 to a Salv[ation] Army. Gave them a lecture about sending in the morning.³ Thick mist + drizzle all day : very mild S.W. [wind].

¹ Jane Elliott Scott Neil (1923-2013), born 16 January 1923 at Whitmuir, Selkirk, daughter of Adam Grey Neil, forester and joiner, and Christina Neil née Scott who had married 4 April 1919 at Oxnam [birth: 1923 78 / 2, Selkirk].

² Mrs Margaret Miller née Miller (about 1852-1923), died 11.30 a.m. on 16 January 1923 aged 71 at 22 Forest Road, Selkirk, of “Broncho-pneumonia 8 days” as certified by John S Muir M.B., C.M. She was the widow of William Miller, general labourer [1923 Statutory registers Deaths 778/ 6].

³ The Editor isn’t sure of the implication of this but assumes that Dr Muir means they should have sent for him in the morning, but, if that is what he means, the Editor does not recall this complaint having made previously in almost eight years of diary transcription.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]

Winter aconite flowering¹

Felt all right today + enjoyed my food. There was still a strong N.W. wind which again dried the roads. I was not out of the town + made about a dozen calls. Helen went to church at Philiphaugh + rode her new bicycle² for the first time. I went with her part of the way. Mrs Miller, Forest Road³ very ill with broncho pneumonia. Letter from Dora⁴ to say she is much better. Was called out at 11.30 for Mrs Miller. The pneumonia has attacked her left side.

¹ Eranthis hyemalis is Winter Aconite, also commonly known as Winter Hellebore.

² Helen Muir, Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper, had acquired a new three-speed Raleigh bicycle from Stark & Murray probably a Christmas present (see Dr Muir’s diary entry for 8 December 1922).

³ Mrs Margaret Miller née Miller (about 1852-1923), widow of William Miller, general labourer, lived at 22 Forest Road, Selkirk [1922 Valuation Rolls VR007900012-/305, Selkirk Burgh, page 305 of 644].

⁴ Andrina Dorothy ‘Dora’ Muir (1882-1978), nurse and Dr Muir’s youngest daughter.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]

I had about the worst attack of flatulent dyspepsia last night. I ate a preserved greengage after dinner + took a big drink of milk at bedtime + had to rise at 2 a.m. + sit in the Smoke room. I was never sick but had frequent short fits of [illegible]. I took almost no breakfast : a cup of Bovril at lunch + a little porridge at night. Motored to Sloebank, Forest Road, Sundhope, Mount Benger Cottages, Dryhope Lodge + Henderland. Very strong N.W. wind but no fall [?]. Helen¹ went to evening service + to Wellwood² for supper.

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

² Wellwood, Ettrick Terrace, Selkirk, home of Dr Muir’s second daughter Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir and her family.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]

Heavy hoar frost which soon disappeared with a shower of sleety rain. It was a dark damp dismal cold day. I saw Mrs Miller, Forest Road¹ with the car + then went on to Wollrigg² + back via Lilliesleaf to Chesterknowes³ whence I walked to Curling⁴ + met Baptie⁵ again at Whitmuirhall. The ground was quite hard + much cleaner walking than on Monday. The hounds never turned up at Riddell. Got home before 1.30. Began working out accounts.

¹ Mrs Margaret Miller née Miller (about 1852-1923), widow of William Miller, general labourer, lived at 22 Forest Road, Selkirk [1922 Valuation Rolls VR007900012-/305, Selkirk Burgh, page 305 of 644].

² Woll Rigg, Ashkirk, where Dr Muir may well have been visiting William Dewar who had his hand lacerated when sawing a branch off a tree on 28 November 1922.

³ Chesterknowes, Midlem, grid reference NGR NT527,261, Ordnance Survey 25 inch Roxburghshire Sheet nXII.6, published 1921.

⁴ Curling, Bowden, Roxburghshire, grid reference NGR NT517,261, visible on Ordnance Survey 25 inch Roxburghshire Sheet nXII.5, published 1921.

⁵ Thomas Baptie (1860-1929), driver and handyman for Dr Muir.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]

Still dry + frosty : no wind. Sunny morning : cloudy after. N. [wind] Cycled to Mt Benger Cottages to see Wm Blaikie.¹ Took 1½ hours to go + 1h 10m to return. Came round by Hospital + up to County Buildings at 1.45 to sign some papers as Sheriff Sub. Met Anna Lang (Mrs Hamilton) on Harewoodglen Brae.² She is much better. Nancy, Tim + Louise³ were at a children’s party at Bowhill fancy dress. It seems Dav. + Norah⁴ were there also. Dav. has got further in at Bowhill⁵ than ever I did. Nice long letter from Pat.⁶

¹ William Blaikie, farm worker, was Inhabitant Occupier of a house at Mount Benger, Yarrow [1922 Valuation Roll, VR011700009-/389, Selkirk County, page 389 of 611].

² Anna Gertrude Montgomery Hamilton née Lang (1864-1937), born Largs, Ayrshire. She had married Charles Gipps Hamilton at Selkirk. Died aged 72 at Selkirk [sources: 1864 602 / 30 Largs, Ayrshire; 1892 778 / 33 Selkirk; 1937 778 / 24 Selkirk].

³ Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948) and two of her children, Louisa Jane Roberts, later Rutherford (1906-1982) and George Edward ‘Tim’ Roberts (1911-2005).

⁴ David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), medical practitioner and Norah Graham née West (1887-1971).

⁵ Dr Graham has evidently worked his way into some sort of familiarity with the Duke of Buccleuch and his household.

⁶ 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/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]