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The White House Inn

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820 Great Eastern Road, Parkhead, Glasgow.

White House Inn

The White House Inn, Great Eastern Road, now Tollcross Road.

The White House Inn, Shinty Ha’, Parkhead, c 1905.
Shinty Ha’ was the name given to a row of red tiled cottages which stood in the Great Eastern Road at Parkhead. One of these cottages was said to have been the last home in which handloom weaving was carried on in Parkhead, perhaps even the last in Glasgow. Thanks to the Mitchell Library.

In the 1850s the White House Inn was occupied by George Gourlay. One half of the shop was a licensed grocer’s business and the other a public house, Mr Gourlay had a licence to sell porter and spirits. There was a lane that ran behind this building called Elizabeth Place, many of the buildings in this area had similar names attached to the premises, like one of the tenements further along the road where the Tavern is today, if you look up you will see Hill Park Place on the building even though the property is on the main road.

There was another spirit dealer trading from Elizabeth Place in the 1850s and 60s called Alexander Eadie. Business must have been difficult as there was competition nearby, the Bowler’s Rest owned by Hugh Montgomery was on one side and the Burnbank Tavern owned by John Orr was on the other side of the inn, there was also licensed grocers businesses nearby.

When George passed away his son John took over the business, he was already established as a saddler and a harness maker, probably from the premises at the rear of the inn. John lived next door to the old inn with his wife Mary and their three sons George, John and Robert. Business must have been good as the family could afford a domestic servant. When John died his wife Mary took over the running of the business and let the property to James Anderson at a rent of £29.00 per annum.

William Anderson another member of the family took over the licence in 1897 until the end of WW1, the rent had then doubled in price, he was refused the licence in 1921 as a result in minor charges against him. His wife Susan then acquired the licence but the inn was closed the following year and never opened again as a public house, the property lay derelict for many years afterwards before it was finally demolished.

The White Elephant

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338 Gallowgate, Glasgow.

The White Elephant

The White Elephant. 1991.

The White Elephant stood out amongst all the pubs on the Gallowgate for it’s unusual name. There has been licensed premises on this site since the early 1800s. Over the years many spirit merchant’s have come and gone, serving the locals with their favourite tipple.

In 1866 George Jeffrey took over the pub, he ran another public house on Watt Street at the corner of Ardgowan Street, south side. The pub was a real success for George as he held the licence for over fifty years. The pub was sold on to William P Arthur in 1911, Mr Arthur was fined £5.00 at the Sheriff Court a few years later for allowing liquor to be consumed on his premises during prohibited hours at 10.45pm, an hour and three quarters after closing time. When the Police raided his premises on the Gallowgate he said that no liquor was being sold but he was giving the liquor to his friends free of charge. He lost his licence in 1920 as a result.

Another well known and respected member of the Scottish Licensed Trade to own the pub was Robert Eadie who ran this pub successfully for 30 years, Mr Eadie came from a well known family of spirit merchant’s in the city, the family owned some of the most popular bar in town including premises on Rutherglen Road, Watt Street, Caledonia Road, Eglinton Street and West Scotland Street. Robert Eadie was heavily involved in the Thistle Burns Club and was appointed President in 1957.

In 1966 Nicolina McGinlay took over the licence, she also held a certificate for premises a few door away at 374-378 Gallowgate, the Regal bar, now well known as the Hielan Jessie.

The last publican to hold the licence for the White Elephant was Tam Patrick before the pub was finally demolished in 1987, Tam removed to new premises across the road at the Earl of Lennox, now Hoops Bar.

To read more on the pubs on the Gallowgate read up & Doon the Gallowgate by John Gorevan. A copy can be bought for a few pounds at the Hielan Jessie on the Gallowgate or contact me at [email protected]

Robert W B Eadie

Mr Robert William Bruce Eadie, President of the Thistle Burns Club. 1957.

Licence Holders.
1986 Thomas Patrick.
1973-1966 Nicolina Florentina Matteo McGinlay.
1950-1928 Robert William Bruce Eadie.
1920-1911 William Patrick Arthur.
1910-1866 George Jeffrey.
1863-1950 William Richardson.
1847 Margaret Elder.
1831 William Block.
1827 William Ferguson.
1825 Joseph Thom.

The Western Bar

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4 Peel Street, Partick, Glasgow.

Western Bar

Today Partick in the west end of the city offers some of the finest public houses in Glasgow, on a visit to the district you will be spoiled for choice in the numerous pubs Partick has to offer.

In the early 1900s you still had that choice, you could pick anyone of the wards forty four pubs, this was due to the help of the Partick Wine, Spirit & Beer Trade Defence Association, which fought to keep the pubs open during the temperance movement which saw many pubs close in Glasgow. Members of the Defence Association were William McColl, James and William Ward, James L Bennett, David Muirhead, Hugh Tennent, William Kirkwood and President John Mossman.

John Mossman spent all his life in the licensed trade, he was born in 1871 in the old established hostelry the Bay Horse in Hamilton, his parents being the proprietors, when his father died at an early age his mother took control of the business helped by young John and his two sisters Lily and Agnes. After leaving school John served for a few years in a lawyers office, however he decided this was not for him as he missed the excitement and the patter in the licensed trade, he then started work in the wholesale licensed trade and joined the staff of Messrs. Bennett & Company, York Street, as a junior clerk, working his way up to assistant manager, Bennett & Co. was producing some of the finest whisky in the city, one of there early blends of Scotch was the Royal Glenartney, other favourites were Niblick Machrihanish and Gothic blends.

After three years experience as a manager he left the firm and went into the retail trade in partnership with Mrs Ann Anderson, 4 peel Street, Partick, and traded under the name of Anderson & Mossman. Mr Mossman injected some youthful ideas into the business, he first made major alterations and had the pub redecorated. In 1897 he enlarged the business by securing a licence for the old Bunnhouse Tavern in Main Street, Anderston, one of the oldest premises in the district, he completely transformed the old place into one of the more modern howff’s in the area, he was granted a piece of old derelict ground at the rear of the building to install new lavatory accommodation for the customers.

Mossman’s pub in Peel Street became known as the Western bar, in the 1930s the pub was owned by Daniel Grant, he also ran the well- known State Bar in Holland Street, the Western Bar was demolished in the 1960s.

John Mossman

Mr John Mossman. 1897.

Westering Winds

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123 Bridgegate, Glasgow. G1 5HY. Tel: 01415523674.

Westerning Winds

Westering Winds. 1991.

The Westering Winds at the Bridgegate was once called The Ambleside Arms owned by the Hurrel family. The founder Daniel Hurrel took over this old established pub in 1892.

To read more on the Hurrel family and their public houses, please check back soon for our second book.

The Hurrel’s also owned some of the best pubs in the city of Glasgow including Betty’s Bar on the Gallowgate and Lancefield Quay, Finnieston, Rutherglen Road, Crown Street, Adelphi Street all in the Gorbals area and Green Street Calton.

Westering Winds

Westerning Winds. 2007.

Westering Winds 2008

Westering Winds. 2008.

 

Also see the
Holly Tree, Rutherglen Road.

Other Bridgegate Pubs…

Hugh McGrail.
Victorias. (Vicky’s)