Old Glasgow Pubs

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The Turf Bar

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66 Rutherglen Road corner of 62 Hospital Street, Gorbals, Glasgow.

.Turf Bar Rutherglen Road

The Turf Bar, circa 1960s.

This old Gorbals pub was around in 1875, one of the first licensee was spirit merchant called James Smith. The tenement building was owned by the Glasgow & South Western Railway Company. In 1893 James Ruthven Douglas was Licensee paying an annul rent of £88.00. Mr Douglas also ran a pub at 179 Trongate, City Centre, and lived with his family at 1 Albert Road, Crosshill, Glasgow.

By 1902 James had moved house to 43 Queen Mary Avenue, Crosshill. The Trongate premises were gone, however he was running another pub at St. Enoch Square at the corner of Adam’s Court Lane. Some may remember this old establishment as His Lordship’s Larder.

In 1904 John Griffin took over the business and continued until the end of the First World War. He also owned the Griffin Bar oat 244 Garscube Road.

During the 1930s a lady was licensee, she was called Annie Henry. Charles F Cameron took over the pub in the 40s-50s. In 1958 James McKell took over this long established business. He became a well known and trusted figure in the Gorbals area for many years, and also with the Scottish Licensed Trade. Mr James McKell occupied the premises until the late 1970s when the pub was finally demolished like all the other old pubs in the Gorbals.

Mr J McKell with friends

The last night at the Garryowen Bar, Norfolk Street, in the picture is Mr & Mrs Heraghty, D A MacLean (Phoenix); H Gallagher (Gallagher’s Bar); J McKell (Turf Bar); S Falconer (The Matelot); E O’Doherty (Hampden Bar); P McGovern (Central Bar); J McCann (Mally Arms). 1972.

Mr James McKell with part of friends

This photograph was taken during the function of the Glasgow Licensed Trade Golf Club at the Grand Hotel, Charing Cross in 1966. After the dinner Mr A Hart announced his retirement as Secretary and was presented with presents.

From the left row: Mr O A Douglas (Hepburn & Ross), Mrs J McKell (Turf Bar), Mrs J Morrison, Mr W Morrison (J E Mather & Son Ltd), Mrs G Falconer and Mr D MacGregor (Hepburn & Ross. Right row: Mrs D MacGregor, Mr James McKell (Turf Bar), Mrs J Hutchson, Mrs O A Douglas and Mr J M Hutchison (Hepburn & Ross).

Mr & Mrs James McKell

Mrs & Mr James McKell. 1962.

Mr James McKell

This photograph was taken in 1959. Left to right Mr James McKell, Mr George Ramster and Mrs Forster. Mrs Forster was licensee of a pub at 99 Cambridge Street, many will still remember this old pub as McIntosh’s Bar

Alexander McKenzie’s Vaults

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339-41 Gairbraid Street, Maryhill, Glasgow.

Mr Alexander McKenzie

Mr Alexander McKenzie. 1892.

339-41 Gairbraid Street was later 991-99 Maryhill Road at Oran Street.

Many of the older generation will remember this old pub as McKenzie’s which was then renamed the Cabar Feidh and old Scots gaelic word meaning Stag’s Head.

Cabar Feidh

The Cabar Feidh. with the Orange Walk passing the premises.

Alexander McKenzie was born in Blair Athol. In 1875 he came to Glasgow and started work in MacRae’s Hotel in Bath Street, after 2 years service he was promoted to the famous Caledonian Hotel in Oban. He missed the city life and came back to Glasgow to work for Mr Stewart in Gairbraid Street, Maryhill where he prospered from shopman to manager then to partner then sole proprietor. Alexander had his own blend of scotch whisky called “Caba Feidh” which was very popular with the locals of this old established Maryhill local. Mr McKenzie was a member of several societies, an ardent Free Mason, a burgess of Glasgow and a member of the Trades’ House, an Anderston Weaver, a Forester, a member of the Kelvin dock Curling and Maryhill Bowling Clubs as well as an honorary member of the Dumbartonshire Mounted Rifle Volunteers. He was a crack shot and was fond of angling.

In 1899 Maryhill had 21 pubs in it’s ward and from Celtic Street the top end of Maryhill to St. George’s Cross there was 31 pubs.

In 1888 there was a court case against Alexander McKenzie and Hugh Tennent, Brewery.

A small dept action was tried in the Glasgow Sheriff Court last month before Sheriff Spens, at the instance of John Graham, 212 West George Street, Glasgow, for the trustees of Hugh Tennent & Co., Wellpark Brewery, Cambuslang, against Alexander McKenzie, spirit merchant, Gairbraid Street, Maryhill, concluding for a sum of £10.00, being the value of a large mirror show card, which was the property of the said firm of Hugh Tennent & Co., and was alleged to have been left with McKenzie’s predecessor in the business for business purposes, and which he now refuses to deliver or give up, although repeatedly asked to do so.

Mr Thomas J Smillie, of Smillie & Blyth, writers, Glasgow, appeared for the defender, and stated as a preliminary objection that Graham had no right to sue in the name of the trustees of Hugh Tennent & Co., and also stated as a defence on the merits that the show card had been given in a present to McKenzie’s predecessor, and that they were not now entitled to demand restitution of it. The Sheriff, after hearing the pursuer, gave effect to Mr Smillie’s first contention and dismissed the action.

Facts…

Gairbraid Street is now Maryhill Road.

1973-1966 Robert McBride, for Alexander McKenzie.

1960 Kenneth McKenzie.

1937 Neil McKenzie.

1919 – 1894 George Brownhill for Alexander McKenzie’s trustees.

1893-1888 Alexander McKenzie.

McKean, Robert

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Wine & Spirit Merchant, Queen Street, Stonehouse.

Mr Robert McKean

Mr Robert McKean. 1891.

Mr Robert McKean was a man with a story to tell. He was for many years in the army, and his friends liked nothing better than to set him agoing with his interesting tales of military life both at home and abroad. When he laid down his rifle, after the full period of honourable service, he came to Glasgow and associated himself with the wine and spirit trade. For sixteen years he was an employee in several of the leading licensed establishments in Glasgow. Then he was elected president of the Wine and Spirit Trade Employees Benevolent Association, a position in which he distinguished himself till he became an employer himself in 1891 when he acquired a country inn, Stonehouse.

His presidency then lapsed, as a matter of course, because he was no longer an employee, but he bore the blushing honours of a full fledged employer. Mr McKean established himself in an interesting little building in Queen Street, Stonehouse. There were two tenements in the building. In the upper tenement Mr McKean and his wife find a cosy and commodious dwelling place in the six rooms which it contained. The entire ground floor was devoted to the purpose of the trade. To the right of the doorway there was a spacious bar, which was well stocked with everything in the way of liquid refreshment. Beyond this bar again there was a private or family bar, where the good wife can get her jug of beer for the family without being subjected to the eyes of curious, and where friends who wish a refreshment in seclusion can have it and enjoy it.

To the left of the bar there was a number of sitting rooms, with all the necessary appointments. Mr McKean, in a word, is the proprietor of an ideal country inn. He blends a whisky of his own, and everybody who touches this particular blend has a good word to say of it. It needs only be said, in conclusion, that the new recruit to the ranks of employers could scarcely have cast his lines in a pleasanter spot. Stonehouse itself is a little straggling village, with nothing particularly attractive about it to distinguish it from other country towns but beyond this village, in Avon Glen, there is to be for one of the most picturesque places in all Scotland. It was the favourite haunt of the tourist and the painter, and that is perhaps the highest tribute to its romantic beauty.