A little snow lying this morning + Peat Law +c which were quite clear yesterday, were white today. There was no frost + the roads were very muddy. Saw some town cases walking + cycled to Fauldshope to see Mrs Jas. Wilson + vaccinate baby.1 Came round by Gilkeekit (to see a Mrs Johnston whom D. attended last night2), Cannon Street. Dunsdale. Nancy + Helen3 walked to Middlestead4 + went to the Pictures at night.
1 Eileen Anne Wilson was born 1 October 1922 at Fauldshope, Kirkhope, the daughter of James Wilson, farmer, and Maggie Jane Wilson née Young, of Fauldshope (see Dr Muir’s diary entries for 1 and 2 October 1922); her parents had married 11 October 1911 at Brucefield Farm, Dunfermline, Fife.
2 Robert Johnston, carter, was Inhabitant Occupier not rated of a house at Gilkeekit, Selkirk [1922 Valuation Roll] and it is probable that this is the wood carter husband of Agnes Mary Johnston née Brander who gave birth to a daughter Barbara May Johnston at 00.30 hours on 3 November 1922 at Carterhaugh Cottages, Selkirk; the parents had married 4 June 1920 at 19 Mansionhouse Road, Newington, Edinburgh.
3 Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948) and Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s second daughter and his third daughter and sometime housekeeper respectively.
4 Middlestead, south west of Selkirk at grid reference NGR NT452,264.
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]
The keenest frost as yet. The road puddles were frozen and where shaded did not melt. There was a strong N.W. wind + nearly continuous sunshine. Slight hail shower at 3 + after dark rain + sleet. Cycled to Whitehope2 to a man Redpath3 + found it was Menzies4 whom they wanted. Came back to Cannon Street, Allanlea5 + Hospital. Nancy6 came to stay with us while Jack7 is in London. Papers full of nothing but political meetings + candidature.8
1 Thomas Baptie (1860-1929), driver and handyman for Dr Muir.
3 Assume Robert Redpath, ploughman, Inhabitant Occupier not rated of a house at Whitehope, Yarrow [1922 Valuation Roll, VR011700009-/389, Selkirk County, page 389 of 611].
4 James Morris Menzies (1871-1926), M.B., Ch.M., M.D., medical practitioner, of Ettrick Lodge, Selkirk.
5 Dr Muir had been attending Allanlea, Caddonfoot, Proprietors the Trustees of the late Thomas Douglas Dobson and the occupier Mrs Agnes Dobson, widow (see diary entries for 17 and 18 September 1922) but the identity of the patient may become clearer when the 1921 Census is published later this year [1922 Valuation Rolls VR011700009-/362, Selkirk County, page 362 of 611].
6 Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter.
7 John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior (1876-1966), Dr Muir’s son-in-law.
8 This is a bit of an exaggeration but the papers did cover the election thoroughly, as one would expect.
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]
What with heavy rain all night + melted snow Ettrick was in top flood. It hasn’t been so big for a year. It was still raining when I went out at 10 but soon faired + was dry + sunny with a cold N.W. wind. I saw a town list walking + began to make out some accounts. I went to a meeting in Victoria Hall when Sir Thomas Henderson of Hawick the N.L. Candidate1 was to have spoken but he was ill + didn’t come. Major Innes2 + Prof. Sarolea3 spoke. I didn’t hear him well.
1 Sir Thomas Henderson (1874-1951), Scottish businessman and briefly Member of Parliament for the National Liberal Party; he was a director of Messrs. Innes, Henderson and Co. Ltd., hosiery manufacturers of Hawick.
2 Major Innes is so far unidentified but was described in the Southern Reporter as “of Hawick” [‘Sir Thomas Henderson’s Campaign’, The Southern Reporter, 9 November 1922].
3 Dr Charles Sarolea (1870 – 1953) lecturer, later Professor of French and Romance Philology, University of Edinburgh, and Belgian Consul-General; later a pro-Fascist, it is not clear what his role was generally-speaking in the 1922 General Election but at Selkirk he gave “A long address dealing mainly with German finance” [‘Sir Thomas Henderson’s Campaign’, The Southern Reporter, 9 November 1922].
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]
Some hoar frost + wind slight + round to S.W. but still very cold. A very little snow left on Peat Law + Foulshiels: David1 arrived back unexpectedly + so of course I had less to do. Cycled a round of 12 or 13 [cases] + was not out after lunch. Letter from Jean.2 Invitation to Platform3 for Henderson’s4 meeting tomorrow when Prof. Sarolea5 is to speak.
1 David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., Ch.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner.
2 Jane Henderson Logan ‘Jean’ Pike née Muir (1877-1941), Dr Muir’s eldest daughter.
3 In the 1922 General Election the other parties in the Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency stepped aside to allow the two Liberal candidates to fight the seat (the Editor cannot find a reason for this but perhaps it was out of respect for the previous M.P. Robert Munro, who had served as Secretary for Scotland from 1916, and was on 17 October 1922 appointed to the bench as Lord Justice Clerk and President of Second Division of the Court of Session, taking the judicial title Lord Alness).
4 Sir Thomas Henderson (1874-1951), Scottish businessman and briefly Member of Parliament for the National Liberal Party; he was a director Messrs. Innes, Henderson and Co. Ltd., hosiery manufacturers of Hawick.
5 Dr Charles Sarolea (1870-1953), lecturer, later Professor, of French and Romance Philology, University of Edinburgh and long-time Belgian Consul-General; later a pro-Fascist, it is not clear what his role was in the 1922 General Election.
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]
Quite fresh : calm : N.E.E. [wind] : dull with intermittent sunshine + occasional drizzle. Walked to Home, Elmrow, Rockville1 + Heathpark. Motored to Dunsdale, Buccleuch Road, Heatherlie, Ettrick Shaws, Harewoodglen + C… [?] Cottage. Then walked to Goslaw Green + Shawpark. People in at night from 6 till 7.30. Helen2 went with Jack, Nancy3 + Mrs Mack4 to her [hear] Sir [blank] Grant,5 Indepent Liberal Candidate.6 Erskine Harper7 has been chosen as Candidate for Gorbals Division of Glasgow.8
1 Rockville, Hillside Terrace, Selkirk, home of Robert Currie junior (about 1847-1923), woollen hosiery manufacturer, son of Robert Currie, hosiery manufacturer, and Mary Currie née Little, he was married to Mary Murray.
2 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.
3 John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior (1876-1966), Dr Muir’s son-in-law, and Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), his second daughter.
4 Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk.
5 Sir Alfred Hamilton Grant (1872-1937), 12th Baronet KCSI KCIE, known as Hamilton Grant, a British diplomat who served primarily in India; after the death of his first wife he married, 1914, Margaret Lucia Cochran of Ashkirk, Selkirkshire, left India in 1922 and, returning to Britain, decided to pursue a political career whereupon he was chosen as Independent Liberal candidate for Roxburgh and Selkirk, a constituency which, in the general election held that year the other parties stepped aside to allow the two Liberal candidates to fight the seat (the Editor cannot find a reason for this but perhaps it was out of respect for the previous M.P. Robert Munro, who had served as Secretary for Scotland from 1916, and was on 17 October 1922* appointed to the bench as Lord Justice Clerk and President of Second Division of the Court of Session, taking the judicial title Lord Alness). * The London Gazette, 20 October 1922, Issue 32757, page 7369.
6 In the Poll on Wednesday 15 November 1922 Grant was narrowly defeated: Sir Thomas Henderson (National Liberal): 10,356 votes (51.7%) Sir Alfred Hamilton Grant (Liberal): 9,698 (48.3%). Turnout: 20,054 (60.9%).
7 James ‘Erskine’ Harper (1887-1953), barrister, son of Ebenezer Erskine Harper, sheriff substitute, and Agnes Harper née Watson, later Mackintosh; brother of Agnes Durnford née Harper.
8 The Poll held on Wednesday 15 November 1922 elected George Buchanan (Labour) with 16,478 votes (54.5%), with James Erskine Harper (National Liberal) second with 8,276 (27.4%) and John Maclean (Independent Communist) third with 4,027 (13.3%).
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]
A good deal of snow had gone during the night + by evening there was none visible from Thorncroft1 though of course the hills are still white. I motored early to Kingcroft toll2 (to see a drunken chap Cavers3 who had been bullying his wife) + Cotfield4 on getting back found a message to Holydean.5 Motored to Heatherlie + Pinegrove6 + then to Holydean where I found dear old Mrs Blaikie7 with a slight cold. Went to evening service + saw Mrs Thomson8, Goslaw Green after. Helen9 had Bell Harkness at tea.10
1 Dr Muir lived at Thorncroft, Scott’s Place, Selkirk but very rarely mentions his house by name.
2 Presumably Dr Muir means the toll at Ladylands, Selkirk.
3 Francis ‘Frank’ Cavers (about 1865-1952), roadman, was at this time at Kingcroft, Selkirk [1922 Valuation Roll], but in 1911 he was at East Third, Smailholm, a ploughman, born Ireland [1911 Census] and after 1922 he was recorded at Cannon Street, Selkirk and, at his death, at Boleside House, Galashiels; he had married, 1916 at Smailholm, Mary Crichton nee Laidlaw (d.1949), the widow of William Crichton (about 1850-1914) whom she had married in 1913.
4 Cotfield, near Harelaw, Lilliesleaf, grid reference NT532,226, just south of the Drove Road between Grundistone Heights and St Boswells.
6 John Laurie, son of George Laurie, woollen mill engineman, and Elizabeth Jane Douglas Laurie née King, had been born the day before at Pinegrove, Selkirk, see Dr Muir’s diary entry for 28 October 1922.
7 Helen Brunton Blaikie (about 1838-1924), daughter of James Brunton, farmer, and Agnes Stenhouse, she died 8 June 1924 at Holydean, Bowden, aged 86, death was certified by D Charteris Graham, Dr Muir’s medical co-partner; her daughter: Agnes Helen Blaikie (1863-1932), daughter of William Lang Blaikie, farmer, and Helen Blaikie née Brunton, was joint tenant at Holydean, Bowden with her mother, 1922 Valuation Roll; she died in 1932 at Viewfield Nursing Home, Selkirk and her death was certified by D Charteris Graham, Dr Muir’s medical co-partner.
8 Mrs Thomson, Goslaw Green cannot (yet) be identified because two different men, David Thomson and Andrew Thomson, both millworkers, lived at 9 Goslaw Green as follows: David, 1921, Andrew, 1922, David 1923 and 1924 [Valuation Rolls]; perhaps they were working shifts, with sleeping arrangements like submariners’?
9 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.
10 Isabella ‘Bell’ Harkness née Lockie (1859-1929), daughter of Hugh Lockie, woollen millworker, and Helen Lockie née Fairbairn, married to John Harkness, baker; her daughter Ella Fairbairn Harkness (1893-1915), woollen millworker, had died in 1915, aged 22, at Curror Street, Selkirk, of phthisis pulmonalis 18 months, certified by Dr John S Muir and members of the Muir family appear to have reached out to her every year since, see for example Dr Muir’s diary entry for 2 October 1920.
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]
Winter fairly : a good coating of snow lying + a heavy shower during the day but more rain in evening some glints of sunshine. N.E. [but] very little wind. Was called out when dressing to Miss Lawrie, Pinegrove who had a s. (Chlor. + forceps) at 8.50.1 Saw town cases walking. Geo. Douglas, Chapel Street’s boy Jas.2 sent to Hospital (S3). I had intended going to Bric-a-brac4 with Helen5 + Mrs Mack6 but I had people in from 6 till 7.30 + didn’t feel inclined. Bella7 got my ticket + I spent a cosy 2 hours at the kitchen fire reading the report of Conference of Panel Committees.8
1 John Laurie, born 28 October 1922 at Pinegrove, Selkirk, the son of George Laurie, woollen mill engineman, and Elizabeth Jane Douglas Laurie née King, married 16 April 1910 at 35 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh.
2 Assume James Douglas (1914-1966), born 19 Chapel Street, Selkirk, son of George Douglas, woollen mill worker, and Georgina Douglas née Henderson, married 14 November 1913 at Selkirk.
3 Presumably Scarlet fever, of which (with Diphtheria) there had been a prolonged outbreak in Selkirk.
4 The Bric-a-Bracs, “Edinburgh’s Premier Entertainers” were at the Victoria Hall on 28 October 1922, tickets from James Lewis, stationer, and according to the advertisement in the Southern Reporter 26 October there was a “Great Treat In Store” which the report of the event said brought something new and that “although ‘new’ things are not always welcomed by the ‘Souters’ they were not long in appreciating this particular novelty” which provided a most “cheery, breezy, interesting, and amusing Pierrot entertainment” [report ‘The “Bric-a-Bracs” – The Victoria Hall’ in Southern Reporter 2 November 1922].
5 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.
6 Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk.
7 Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (1873-?1952), Dr Muir’s housekeeper, daughter of James Paulin, groom, and Grace Paulin née Cranston, born Ladykirk, Berwickshire.
8 Precisely which meeting of the British Medical Association this was is unclear.
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]
Bitterly cold. A shower in the morning had some sleet + in the afternoon there were snow showers which left the slates + grass white at night. I had a full day + did it motoring, first in town (13 cases) + Shielshaugh1 + then Cotfield2, with 4 more town cases + a good many people in at night.
1 The Warwick family was at Shielshaugh, Selkirk, grid reference NGR NT418,265
2 Cotfield, near Harelaw, Lilliesleaf, grid reference NT532,226, just south of the Drove Road between Grundistone Heights and St Boswells.
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]
Very dense fog. Dull day some light showers. In afternoon cycled [to] Goslaw Green, Hospital [and] Buccleuch Road. Did a lot of making out of accounts + posting ledger. David2 was shooting at Haining + sent me a hare. Helen3 + I with Mrs Mackintosh4 went to a lecture on J M Barrie5 by Miss Buchan (O Douglas)6. It was delightful : her ‘Braid Scots’ are perfect.7 David went up to Devonshire to his sister tonight.8
1 “The Conservative Party had increasingly regretted its four-year political impotence within a Coalition led by David Lloyd George (Liberal and Prime Minister) and decided to try to bring the Coalition to an end.1 On the morning of 19 October 1922, an independent Conservative had beaten the Coalition candidate at a by-election in Newport. That same morning, 273 of the 335 Conservative MPs met at the Carlton Club in London to discuss whether or not to remain in the Coalition. Austen Chamberlain (Conservative and Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons) urged them to remain, but another Conservative member of Lloyd George’s Cabinet, Stanley Baldwin, the President of the Board of Trade, pressed for an end to the association with Lloyd George. He was supported by Bonar Law, the former Conservative leader; only 88 MPs wished to remain in the Coalition.”
Source: Vale, Allister J and John W Scadding ‘Winston Churchill: acute appendicitis in October 1922’, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 2019 Aug; 112(8): 341–348. Published online 2019 Feb 19. doi: 10.1177/0141076819830039
2 David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., Ch.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner.
3 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.
4 Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk.
5 Sir James Matthew ‘J M’ Barrie (1860-1937), 1st Baronet, OM, Scottish novelist and playwright.
6 Anna Masterton Buchan ‘O Douglas’ (1877-1948), Scottish novelist, living at Peebles; she was the sister of John Buchan.
7 Dr Muir had an interest in the Scots Language, occasionally using it himself (all examples below have entries in the Dictionar o’ the Scots Leid) including: come (sweat on ice, a thaw, 9 January 1920); drouthy (26 May 1922); fain (22 August 1921); forrader or forrarder (14 January 1921); gliffed (26 August 1914); grue (thin coating of newly-formed ice on water (7 January 1918); plump (of rain or thunder, 28 May 1921 and other occasions); pragged (c.f. Praig, a pin, nail or spike, 4 June 1917); putt (jetty or stone buttress projecting from the bank of a river (14 October 1916); semmit (vest, 8 July 1921); Shilfa (9 February 1921); swither (11 October 1922); thole (to put up with, suffer, 22 June 1917) or yell (of snow, 9 February 1919).
8 Isobel Anderson ‘Isa’ Graham, later Coffey (c.1896-1947), sister of David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham; she married, 1924, at Plymouth, Devon, Thomas Malo Coffey, C.I.E., Indian Forest Service, so there is a good chance that she was already living in Devon in late 1922.
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]
Although the weathercock pointed S.W. it was no warmer but there was hardly a breath of wind. There was hoar frost on slates + an occasional glint of sun : fog at times + slight rain all afternoon. The usual trivial town list but a [illegible] in the shape of a message (from Mauldsheugh) to see a maid at Harewoodglen where I cycled. Wrote Rennie1 + sent him, Jean1 + Dora2 copies of the Border Telegraph (which Mrs Mack3 gave me) with an account of Monday’s affair.4 Helen5 cycled to Melrose + had tea with the Johnstones formerly of Chapelhope.6 Nancy7 started with her but turned for the rain.
1 The Reverend James Rennie (1826-1924), Church of Scotland minister, of Ladyton, Prestwick and widower of Catherine Stewart ‘Kate’ Rennie née Muir (1829-1915), Dr Muir’s sister.
2 Jane Henderson Logan ‘Jean’ Pike née Muir (1877-1941), Dr Muir’s eldest daughter.
3 Andrina Dorothy ‘Dora’ Muir (1882-1978), Dr Muir’s youngest daughter.
4 It was the semi-jubilee social meeting at the Victoria Hall on Monday 23 October 1922 for the Reverend Andrew Ross (1871-1942), Church of Scotland clergyman, who had moved to Selkirk in 1903 and was there until his retiral with the exception of a period in early 1918 when he was in France with the Scottish Churches Huts.
5 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.
6 John Johnstone (about 1866-), farmer, was at Chapelhope, Ettrick in the 1911 Census with Elizabeth ‘Bessie’ Johnstone née Irwin (about 1871-) his wife, born Canada (they married 20 June 1888 at Miniota, Manitoba), and their children Victoria Winona Johnstone, later Linton (1889-1957), James Johnstone (1891-), Robert Aubrey David Johnstone (1899-1978) and Noreen Irwin Johnstone (1909-2002) plus John’s sister Charlotte Johnstone, but the Editor cannot match this to a family at Melrose post-war. Victoria was married and at Gilmanscleuch in the 1921 Census and her sister Noreen was staying with the Linton family too, but the rest of the family are, as yet, unidentified in the 1921 Census.
7 Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), his second daughter.
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]
Rumbling Clint's Scottish Notes 