Nelson Street

148 Nelson Street, Glasgow. G5 8EJ. Demolished.

The Dew Drop Inn sat at the corner of Nelson Street and 93 West Street, Tradeston. It was formerly known as “The Rose”.

There has been a pub on this site since 1863. Landlord James Wilson stayed across the road for his place of business. The old building was demolished at the end of the 1800s and a new tenement building was erected in its place with a public house on the ground floor.

William Urquhart the new landlord acquired a licence to sell wine and spirits in April 1896 and traded here for many years. In 1899 his annual rent was £99. William also ran a pub at 64 Clyde Place called the Ceilidh Bar.

Mr Urquhart lived at 13 Daisy Street in Govanhill with his wife Christina and family. On the outbreak of the First World War William’s wife became licensee, this may have been the cause of William being killed at war or died here in Glasgow. However Christina ran a successful business for many years and was still licensee in 1950.

In 1943 William Urquhart’s Daughter also Christina married Charles Cruikshank. More to follow.

Well-known Glasgow Wine & Spirit Merchant Matthew E Taylor acquired the licence in 1966 until the end of the 70s, the pub was then known as the Green Horn. The old pub stayed open until the 1990s before it too was demolished like many of the other pubs on Nelson Street.

In the News 1974…

It’s his chain of office again.

Mr. M. E. Taylor, C. & J. F.S.A.Scot., has been installed as Visitor of The Incorporation of Maltmen in Glasgow. A fifth generation in the wine trade in Glasgow, Mr. Taylor already held this office in 1969/70. There are 14 incorporation’s in the City of Glasgow and all their income is disbursed to charity.

As well as running his business, Stevenson Taylor (North) Ltd., Mr Taylor is chairman of the St. John (Glasgow) Housing Association Ltd., who are building a sheltered housing project at Partickhill.

Mr Taylor is pictured wearing the chain of office of the incorporation and insignia of C. St. J. 1974.

Mr Matthew E Taylor.

In 1978…

“In recent years because of redevelopment the firm have had to face up to the loss of many of their retail premises, more perhaps than any other private concern in Scotland…

Mr Matthew E. Taylor, a respected and honoured personality in the Scottish licensed trade, is a fifth generation of a family with a time-honoured reputation in Glasgow wine and spirit circles and in particular with the firm of Stevenson Taylor (North), Glasgow.

This firm, in fact, is now more than 170 years old, and Matt can trace his family links with it right back to the early part of the last century. As managing director of the concern, with which he has such a long family background, he is not only continuing the good work of his forebears, but by his own qualities has impressed himself upon the trade scene.

He is a kenspeckle figure, recognisable with his trim beard, and often wearing Highland dress. Modest though he is, he takes a natural pride in the honour that have been bestowed on him.

Highlight of his trade career came in 1965 when he was installed as a Chevalier of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin de Bourgogne, an organisation of Burgundy wine makers, wine merchants and connoisseurs.

This honour was conferred on him at a ceremony in the Chorey-le-Beaune, preceded by an impressive procession through the village. He is also a Knight of the French Order of St. Lazarus.

Prominently associated with the St. John Association, Glasgow, of which he was a founder-member, he was appointed a Knight of Justice of the Order of St. John in 1974, and it was another highlight of his career when he received the accolade of Knighthood at St. James’ Palace in November 1976.

But in Matt Taylor’s opinion, the main highlight of his career came in October, 1975, when as chairman of the St. John (Glasgow) Housing Association he officiated at the opening of the St. John Residential Home, Partickhill, Glasgow, the ceremony being performed by the Duke of Gloucester.

It was after a three-year period of marking time that this project finally got off the ground, Matt recalls, but it was then built, opened and occupied, all within a space of 18 months.

As well as having on two occasions been invested as Visitor of the Incorporation of Maltmen of Glasgow (1969 and 1974), he is a past president of the Forty-Nine Wine and Spirit Club (1975), chairman of the Scottish Veto Investment Company, and a director of the Benevolent Society of the Licensed Trade of Scotland.

IT was within recent months that Matt became a director of the “Ben”. As with various other trade personalities, he has a family connection with that organisation, for a grand-uncle, Henry Taylor, was president of the Scottish Wine and Spirit Merchant’ Benevolent Institution as far back as 1888.

Taking a lively interest and a strong pride in Scotland’s heritage, Matt is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and a director of the Grand Antiquity Society of Glasgow (of which he will be Preses in 1980).

It is fitting that he should have interests in this direction, for the origin of his family firm go back to 1806. The founder was James Stevenson, whose son, Robert, was joined in partnership by Henry and Edward Taylor, who were followed by other members of the Taylor family.

Matt’s association with the firm began in 1947, after Army Service in which he held the rank of Captain. By 1959 he became managing director. In this position he succeeded his cousin, the late Mr. Graham Taylor, who had played Rugby for Scotland in the 1920’s and also for Glasgow Academicals at a period when they were rated as invincible.

Matt’s father, Mr. Matthew G. Taylor, C.A., was one of five brothers who were all directors of the business.

Apart from the wholesale wine and spirit aspects of their business, the firm have for long been prominent on the retail side, both with public houses and off-licences. The premises with which they have been longest associated for more than 110 years, in fact is the Glaswegian, at 69 Bridge Street.

The licence has been held on their behalf since 1865 and their present tenants there are Mr. and Mrs. Harry W. Heenan. Harry has won renown in Scottish darts circles, and as well as going on exhibition tours all over the country he makes an annual visit to the U.S.A.

In recent years, because of compulsory purchase for redevelopment in Glasgow, the firm have had to face up to the loss of many of their retail premises, more, perhaps, than by any other private concern in Scotland.

First to go, Matt recalls, was the Tower Bar in Bishop Street, Anderston in 1966. Among the premises they have lost since 1969 have been off-licence in Govan Road; public house premises at 260 Buchanan Street; the Greenhorn and the Cameronian in London Road; the Buchanan House Bar in Renfrew Street; an off-licence at 602 Gallowgate and the Oak Bar, Gallowgate; and the Gushet Bar, Port Dundas Road.

Matt intends, however, that the firm should remain active on the retail side, an indication of this being that they recently took over the Clansman in Springfield Road on the site about 400 yards from Celtic Park, with Matt himself holding the Licence.

Matt Taylor, who is joined in the directorship of the company by his wife, has two sons, two daughters and seven grandchildren. The elder daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Morrison, Matt’s right-hand, is a sixth generation of the Taylor family in the wine and spirit trade.

Do you remember this old Pub? If so please leave a comment.

END.