29-31 Glebe Street, Townhead, Glasgow.
The Royal. 1991.
There has been licensed premises on this site since 1849. The longest licensee to hold the certificate was William Smith, he took over the pub in 1851 and continued to serve the locals here till 1895.
Many Glasgow publican’s in Victorian times lived very close to their business, William and his wife Mary stayed in Stirling Road in the 1880s with their son David a shipbuilders clerk and their daughter Maggie who was still at school.
The licence was transferred to Mrs Mary Stirling Smith Munro in 1895, she sold the pub in 1910 along with her other establishment at 113 Springburn Road, many will remember this old pub as “Dougan’s.”Mary’s husband ran this pub from the 1880s.
William Collins took over the Glebe Street business in 1910 paying an annul rent of £70, his wife ran the pub after the Second World War.
The Royal Bar was taken over by Edward Lee, Funeral Director’s, who had premises in Glebe Street, Westmuir Street and St. Vincent Street. Edward Lee’s first pub was in Millroad Street before taking over the Royal Bar.
This well established hostelry was demolished in the early part of the 1990s along with the Manx Bar to make way for a car park.
The Lee family however got new premises across the road which is far bigger than the old pub. The name Lee is now above the doorway of the new pub which is on St. James Road.
The Lee 100 St James Road, Glasgow G4 0NS
