68 Great Eastern Road, Glasgow.
The old Caledonian Wine and Spirit Vaults was a prominent site in Camlachie, it was situated across from Stevenson Taylor’s Vaults at the Camlachie Institute. The Caledonian Vaults was an old fashioned tavern, the proprietor lived on the premises in its early history.
During the 1840s cowfeeder and spirit dealer William McNicol was the landlord, Willie was a well-known character in Camlachie, when the circus came to Vinegar Hill all the pubs in the area were packed. Old Willie sold up in the early part of the 1850s. He was followed by William Willox, Issac Stewart then in 1879 James McConnell acquired the business.
James McConnell was a well respected wine and spirit merchant in the east end of the city, his wife Margaret took over the business in 1897 as one of the trustees of his estate for her late husband. She had a long title, being married a few times, she was known at the licensed courts as Margaret Flynn or McConnell or Murphy. She became licensee of several pubs in the east end including The Springfield Vaults, 743-49 London Road, the Mill Vaults, 122 Millburn Street, the Waverley Bar, 37 Preston Street at the corner of Bernard Street.
Margaret prospered during her years as a landlady, the old Caledonian Wine & Spirit Vaults were finally closed down by the magistrates, as it was very old and in desperate need of renovation, they said the the place was falling down under your feet and the premises should be blown up, it would have been cheaper to demolish the building rather than refurbished it. It was closed in 1921.
