Another delightful day: mild, calm + some sunshine S.E. [wind] Sent a lot of the patients out.¹ Did a town list walking up till 2.45 + after tea motored in town + to Yair + Sund. Hall Lodge. Baptie² dropped me in Market Place at 6.15 + I saw cases till 7.30 + so escaped the Consultation crowd³. Letter from Dora⁴, the first since she went to Trinity⁵ more than a month ago. Rob^t Lamb the barber died today⁶.

¹ The Editors suspects this may be from the Infectious Diseases Hospital

² Thomas Baptie (1860-1929), driver and handyman for Dr Muir

³ It is interesting that Dr Muir finds the consultations so unsatisfactory

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

⁵ It is not clear where Trinity might be, though Dora last left Dr Muir on the 2 January 1922, with her sister Jean and her friend Boyack, but no destination was mentioned at that time

⁶ Robert Lamb, hairdresser, died 31 January 1922, aet 71, at 3 Tower Street, Selkirk, of Chronic Nephritis of unknown duration, certified by John S Muir M.B.; he was the son of James Lamb, hand loom weaver, and Elizabeth Lamb née Hardie, and was married twice, to Jane Stevenson (died 1912) and Eliza Jane Colledge [first marriage, 1875, 778/ 35, Selkirk; first wife’s death, 1912, 778/ 11, Selkirk; second marriage, 1914, 685/5 173, Newington; and death, 1922, 778/ 14, Selkirk]

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]

Very mild + calm but dull. Snow gradually disappearing but some still on park. Had a list of 65 + did 67 calls¹ including Beechwood. Did Rosemount, Back Row, So. Port, Market Street, Ettrick Terrace, Dunsdale, Ashybank, Curror Street +c + got some tea at 2.45. Then did Elmgrove, Goslaw Green, Forest Road, Buccleuch Road, Bridge Street, Beechwood + Ettrickhaugh Road. 8 new messages. Helen² walked to Lindean + ½ Crown Corner³ + heard a thrush sing.

¹ As Dr Muir’s list of calls (visits) has got longer he has begun to report them in this form and it is probable that the earlier number is the total number of patients and, where the number of calls is higher than that, it indicates multiple visits to one or more patients

² Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper

³ Half Crown or Halfcrown Corner, Selkirk grid reference NGR NT501,296, see Ordnance Survey 6” Selkirkshire Sheet XII.NW, revised 1897, published 1900

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]

Quite mild + later S.E. A great deal of snow disappeared last night + walking was quite easy. There was a glint of sun in the afternoon, the first for a week. I was not out of town except at Buxton¹. Mrs Hill, Ashybank² + Mrs. Geo. Scott, Dunsdale³ both a shade better. Mrs Douglas⁴, Viewfield was collapsed this morning but improved at night. Lamb⁵ the barber very ill, spent the afternoon at day-books. No church. Supped at Wellwood⁶. Mrs Mack’s brother⁷ + Jack⁸ there.

¹ Buxton may refer to the property of that name or to the Infectious Diseases Hospital nearby, both at the north eastern end of the Selkirk Hills, approximate grid reference NGR NT483,286

² James Hill, weaver, was Tenant of a house at Ashybank, Selkirk, and he and his wife Helen Blackhall Hill née Chisholm were recorded living there in the 1911 Census with three nieces staying [1922 Valuation Roll, VR007900012-/320, Selkirk Burgh, page 320 of 644; her birth 1872, 778/53, Selkirk]

³ George Scott, Dunsdale is unidentified

⁴ Assume Annie Douglas née Davidson whose son George Huntley Douglas was born 28 January 1922 at Viewfield Nursing Home, Selkirk

⁵ Robert Lamb, hairdresser, of 3 Tower Street, Selkirk

⁶ Wellwood, Ettrick Terrace, was the home of John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior (1876-1966), Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948) and their children Andrina Barbara Henderson ‘Barbara’ Roberts, later Thwigg (1902-1996), John Stewart ‘Jock’ Roberts (1904-1950), Louisa Jane Roberts, later Rutherford (1906-1982), Stewart Muir ‘Little Stewart’ Roberts (1908-2003) and George Edward ‘Tim’ Roberts (1911-2005)

⁷ Mrs Mackintosh’s brother must be Thomas William Watson (1864-1935), J.P., solicitor and by 1922 only surviving son of Sir John Watson, 1st Baronet and Agnes Simpson; he was a Writer to the Signet (W.S.) at Edinburgh and lived at Neilsland, Hamilton, Lanarkshire

⁸ John ‘Jack’ Roberts junior (1876-1966), mill owner, three-time Provost of Selkirk and Dr Muir’s son-in-law, later knighted “for political and public services

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]

Quiet thaw: no wind + mild. Got to bed at 11 + was knocked up at 2 for Mrs Douglas who had a son (Chlor. + forceps) at 3¹. Lay in bed till almost 9 + did not shave. Did a town list of 45 + 2 at Buxton². Motored most of it. Felt my knee a little stiff from the fall I got yesterday. Matro Stanley³ was found by Nurse Love [?]⁴ in Matron’s⁵ room at Viewfield + David⁶ at once sacked Stanley + Matron will have to go.

¹ George Huntley Douglas, born 28 January 1922, at Viewfield Nursing Home, Selkirk, son of William Millar Douglas, shoemaker of 55 Tower Street, Selkirk, and Annie Douglas née Davidson; the parents had married 29 April 1921 at Selkirk [statutory Births, 1922, 778/ 14, Selkirk].

² Buxton almost certainly refers to the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Buxton, just under the Selkirk Hills.

³ Stanley is unidentified.

⁴ Nurse Love was Martha Durlay Landels Love (1887-1976), born 1887 at Kirkcaldy and Abbotshall, and recorded at Viewfield nursing home in the 1921 Census.

⁵ Matron is Nurse, more correctly Matron Waugh was Marion Gentleman Waugh (1877-), born Craigbank, Slamannan, Stirlingshire, the daughter of Allan Waugh, seed merchant, and Christina – sometimes Christian – Turnbull Waugh née Dodds, married 1872 at Muiravonside. Matron Waugh and her mother were recorded at Viewfield Nursing Home, Selkirk in the 1921 Census.
In spite of Dr Muir’s assertion Matron Waugh did not leave, at least not immediately, because she was recorded again in Dr Muir’s diary entries of 13 and 15 November 1922.

⁶ David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]

Mrs Douglas, Tower Street (nee Annie Davidson, of Cannon Street¹) came into the Home this morning at 7 for her confinement. I saw her several times but she was very slow + I came home after seeing her at 10 p.m. Not so many new cases today. Motored to Hospital, Dunsdale +c + in afternoon to Sloebank² + Bridge Street + saw some town cases walking too. It was thawing today + raining at times. Walking from Sloebank to the Toll I slipped + twisted my knee. It was very painful at the time. Feet very fagged at night.

¹ Annie Davidson, woollen burler, of Cannon Street, had married William Millar Douglas, shoemaker, 29 April 1921, at Heatherlie Manse, Selkirk [1921, 778/ 10, Selkirk]; a woollen burler maintained quality in the manufacture of woollen cloth by removing foreign bodies, knots and burrs

² Sloebank is Dr Muir’s contraction of Sloethornbank, Selkirk, the row of houses, one of which used to be a tannery, on the lower part of Ettrick Terrace and above Dunsdalehaugh

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]

I was knocked up about 1 by Willie Smith about his wife¹ but hadn’t to go out + again at 4 when I had to go along + see [?] Geo. Lamb² + gave him a hypo of [illegible]. Went back to bed but had to rise at 7 to dress a boy Oliver’s boil³. Was out before 10 + saw some cases walking + then motored to Hospital &c where I got a message to Beechwood to see Mrs Thomson⁴ who had broken her arm. Went up there + back by Glebe + Haining. Then had tea: ran down to Pinegrove + Sloethornbank + ?. Then motored to Riddell + Whitmuirhall Toll. Then down to Pinegrove + Sloethornbank + then walked to a lot in Kirkwynd, Southport + Backrow. Dined at 8.30 + saw 3 cases after Dav.⁵ talked of operating on Mrs [illegible] Smith⁶ but didn’t. It was snowing at night.

¹ Without further information it is not (yet) possible to identify Willie Smith or his wife

² George Lamb is not identified

³ Oliver is not identified

⁴ Mrs Thomson is not identified

⁵ David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner

⁶ The Editor assumes that this refers to the same Mrs Smith as above

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]

Message from Birrell¹, Lilliesleaf about getting Isa Shillinglaw² to Poorhouse³ + Dav.⁴ asked me to do Shawburn + Riddell. I had a big town list first. Did them + left [?] for for [sic] Shawburn + Lilliesleaf after lunch. At Lilliesleaf got message to Easter Lilliesleaf⁵ + Bewlie Mains⁶ + so was pretty late of getting back. Midlem Hill⁷ was solid + we got back with difficulty.

¹ Assume Andrew Birrell (about 1857-1950), schoolteacher, sometimes described as ‘headmaster’, at Lilliesleaf, 1891 Census and in VRs 1891-1940; born Monimail, Fife, he married 1882, Catherine ‘Kate’ Smith and had children Christina Maggie Birrell (1884-1971) and Andrew Smith Birrell (1886-1917), both born Lesmahagow, Lanarks [sources: 1921 Valuation Roll, VR011600033-/556, Roxburgh County, Page 556 of 993; Christina’s death, 1971, 451/ 21, Newport On Tay].

² Isabella Shillinglaw (1870-1922), domestic housekeeper, the daughter of William Shillinglaw, ploughman, and Isabella Shillinglaw née Gray [birth, 1870, 732/ 83, Coldingham; death, 1922, 789/ 171, Hawick].

³ Isabella died 28 June 1922 at 17 Drumlanrig Square, Hawick (Hawick Combination Poorhouse, James Fleming Boyd, governor), usual residence Lilliesleaf [1921 Valuation Roll, VR003900019-/349, Hawick Burgh, page 349 of 452].

⁴ David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner.

⁵ It is not immediately clear who Dr Muir was visiting at Easter Lilliesleaf, the 1921 Valuation Roll shows the following at this location: Robert Curie Thomson Currie, William Turnbull, Angus Smith and William Hope.

⁶ It is also not immediately clear who Dr Muir was visiting at Bewlie Mains, sometimes Bewliemains, Lilliesleaf, the 1921 Valuation Roll shows the following at this location: William and Adam Smith, John Robertson and Thomas Fell.

⁷ Dr Muir has previously noted the hill at Midlem as a difficult climb.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]

Back to frost + a biting East wind. Roads like glass + walking most risky. Put on my spikes + tramped round the town all day. 12 or 13 new messages. Made 41 calls involving a good many more [?] patients.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]

Thaw + slush once more though not quite as bad as yesterday. There were 10 new messages this morning. I had a town list of 53 of whom I saw 38 including 45 patients [sic]. I sent a boy Davidson¹ into Hospital with Diph., a very bad case. Palfrey² was here twice for catheterisation. A man Henderson³ came in at night having split his thumb with an axe. Helen⁴ came back from Edin. with Mrs Mack⁵ at 6.

¹ John James Davidson, aged 9 John James Davidson died 27 Jan 1922 at Inf Dis Hosp usual res Scott’s Place, aet 9, son of Margaret Davidson woollen millworker of Diphtheria 8 days J S M [1922, 778/ 10, Selkirk]

² Charles Alexander Palfrey (1852-1923), dye-works manager, sometime of Broomfield, Selkirk; the son of Thomas Palfrey and Isabella Harrower, born 18 June 1852, Alva, Clackmannanshire [birth: 470/30 157, Alva]

³ Henderson is unidentified

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

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]

Freezing again + after the slush of yesterday walking was ticklish work. It was a sunny dry day however. I was knocked up by a ‘Phone from ‘Bridgend¹ asking me, as they couldn’t get D.,² to let him know there was a confint. at Brockhill³. So I had to walk to Mauldsheugh⁴ + rouse him. He had forgotten to switch the ‘phone to his room. Baptie⁵ was round + shovelled away some snow but I wouldn’t let him drive and hired to Nest + Peelburnfoot, Cannon Street [?] + Ett’haugh Road. Saw some town cases after lunch. D. had a confi’t at Kirkhope⁶ + a M.C.⁷ at Riddell + then attended Mrs W Park⁸ at night. I supped at Wellwood⁹. Jack¹⁰ goes to London tonight + Nancy¹¹ tomorrow.

¹ Ettrickbridgend, presumably the nearest source of a telephone

² David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner

³ Assume Christina Helen Turnbull, born 5 a.m. on 22 January 1922 at Brockhill, Kirkhope, the daughter of Francis Turnbull, drystone builder, and Mary Helen Turnbull née Mutch who had married 25 September 1921 at Ellon, Aberdeenshire

⁴ Mauldsheugh, erroneously transcribed as Mauldshaugh in ScotlandsPeople, the home of Dr David Charteris and Norah Campion Graham and also, it seems, the surgery of the Muir & Graham medical practice [1921 Valuation Roll, VR007900012-/220, Selkirk Burgh, page 220 of 644]

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

⁶ Dr Muir’s diary is not very clear but this may refer to Christina Turnbull (above) or to Betty Olive Grant Johnston, born 1 p.m. on 22 January 1922 at Kirkhope Cottages, Kirkhope, the daughter of Sandilands Johnston, gardener, and Janet Brown McVittie who had married 28 November 1918 at Edinburgh

⁷ The Editor has never been able to identify definitively the meaning of M.C.

⁸ Mrs Park was May Turnbull Park née Moffat (1883-1969), wife of William Park, grocer, Tenant Occupier of a shop at 75 Buccleuch Road, Selkirk and living at a house and garden ‘Glenesk’, The Glebe, Selkirk; they had married at Scott’s Place, 1 August 1912

⁹ Wellwood, Ettrick Terrace, Selkirk, home of Jack and Nancy Roberts and their children, collectively known to Dr Muir as The Wellwooders

¹⁰ John Roberts junior ‘Jack’ (1876-1966), mill owner, sometime Provost of Selkirk and Dr Muir’s son-in-law

¹¹ Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), Dr Muir’s second daughter and Jack Roberts’ wife

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]