Old Glasgow Pubs

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The Snapp Bar

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54 Cornwall Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow.

The Snapp Bar

The Snapp. 1930s.

This old Kinning Park hostelry was owned by James Shanks in the 1880s, Mr Shanks owned some of the best bars in the city of Glasgow including 80 Cowcaddens, ( W T Doherty’s,) 72 Maitland Street, 32 Hamilton Street, Govan. In the 1870s he started out in the Royalty Bar, West Nile Street. Mr Shanks held the licence for Cornwall Street until 1904.

James Reid

James Reid before refurbishment in the 1930s.

James Reid then took over the pub, he held a licence for another pub at 226 St. James Street, Kinning Park. Mr Reid continued as licensee until the 1930s when the pub was refurbishment and renamed to the Snapp Bar. Wine & Spirit merchant William B Frew then occupied the premises.

After WW2 the pub was run by George Mullen, George went on to own the Snapp Bar, London Road in the east end of the city, he also owned the Blythswood Bar, Clydebank.

The Snapp Bar was demolished in the 1960s.

Licence Holders.
1890 James Shanks.
1930-1904 James Reid.
1938 William Brechin Frew.
1947-1962 George Grant Davidson Mullen.

Sydney Court

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Off Argyle Street, Glasgow.

1892, for the last twenty-five years the public houses in Sydney Court, off Argyle Street (for many years owned by Robin, now by Mrs Ferguson.) has held a premier position in Glasgow for the excellence of its whisky. The external appearance of the tavern was unpretentious but the interior bar was well equipped and spotless. Staff and waiters were smart and courteous. Scotch whisky on the premises was of very good quality.

At 2 Sydney Court there was one of Glasgow’s oldest establishments “The Taylor’s Clippers. In 1921 an interesting end to one of the oldest establishemnts in Glasgow, at 2 Sydney Court, Argyle Street, which had kept an open door for over 90 years and has been in the Ferguson family for over 50 years. The name Robin was on the old sign but it has been known by several names “Robin’s Bar”, “The Hole in the Wa”, “The Stables”, “The Cuttting Board”, “The Counting House”. There was general agreement as to the virtue of a strong special Whisky called “The Hot Bottle”.

Mrs Janet Ferguson owned an old tavern in Sydney Court a well known establishment which the Ferguson’s kept for generations. Barman Mr P C Masterton work there in the 1880s.

Mr P C Masterton

Mr P C Masterton. 1892.

After his extensive training at Ferguson’s tavern he left to go to London and acted as manager to Mr Best of the London Bridge Tavern. Here he obtained a thorough insight into all the mysteries of bar-tending. There was a staff of a dozen man working behind the bar and the popularity of the establishment may be gauged from the fact that sometimes they had a couple of hundred glasses of whisky ready on the counter to serve customers in the rush hours. After remaining in the metropolis he returned to Glasgow and for three and a half years was employed by Mr Haddow, Keppochhill Road, he then went to work as charge-hand of William Robin’s bar at the corner of Govan Street and Commercial Road.

Facts…

Robin’s Bars

The Hole in the Wa.

The Stables.

The Cutting Board.

The Counting House.

Taylor’s Clippers

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The Sandyford

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1008 Argyle Street, Glasgow.

The Sandyford

The Sandyford. 1991.

Established in 1874, the landlord was then William Loudon.

One of the longest licensees for the premises was George Findlay who took over the pub around 1926. It stayed in the Findlay family for almost 70 years.

The pub in the past has been known as Bennett’s Union Jack. A few years ago a new banner was placed over the Sandyford sign called “The Kindmans” however it was taken down a few months later when the pub was sold and the title of Elbow Room appeared above the door.

Popular publican Abraham Bennett owned this pub from 1890 to 1898, the name above the doorway was Bennett’s Bar with a large lantern outside with the name entitled the Union Jack Bar. Mr Bennett kept all the best liquor here including his own blend of Scotch the Mountain Dew, and the Union Jack. The interior was very simple consisting of a bar, linoleum on the floor, a smoking room and the family department entered from Kent Road.

This was Patrick McKay’s first public house, he went on to own some of the most popular bars in town including the Camp Bar at Queen’s Arcade (check out more about the Queen’s Arcade in our book.

Patrick McKay

Mr Patrick McKay.

This old Finnieston local is now called Lebowskis.

Licence Holders.
1991 George Findlay.
1978 W F Findlay.
1973-1948 George Frederick Lindsay Findlay.
1937-1926 George L Findlay.
1925-1915 Patrick McKay.
1914-1903 Andrew Gray.
1902-1899 Charles Purves Newlands.
1898-1890 Abraham Bennett.
1889 Alexander Stevenson.
1880-1879 John Melling.
1878 George Duff.
1877-1874 William Loudon.

Scott’s

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306 Garscube Road, corner of 2 Sawmillfield Street, Glasgow.

Scott's Bar

Scott’s sat at the corner of Garscube Road and Sawmillfield Street. Many will remember this old pub as Deery’s.

In 1882 Miss Scott was landlady here, she occupied the premises for a few years before Peter Watson acquired the licence. The Scott family traded in this area since the 1870s.

Peter Watson also owned a small pub at 141 Garscube Road. He gave up the licence in 1905 to John W Hutchison, he traded under the name of MacFarlane & Hutchison. John was also trustee for the late Vincent Sweeney who owned a pub at 29 Castle Street.

Over the years the pub still retained it’s original name “Scott’s.”

During the 1960s James Deery was landlord, the locals called this old pub Deery’s Bar, James went on to open the Inn, Lambhill. As seen from the photograph above the name above the door is Wines & Spirits. The pub was demolished shortly afterwards.

Mr James Deery

The photograph above was taken at the Glasgow Vintners function in the Bellahouston Hotel 1974. Left to right Mr & Mrs Harry Dougan, the Glen Bar, Mrs & Mr James Deery, the Inn, Lambhill, Mrs Byrne, the New Hawthorn Bar, Mr W Lochead, United Rum Merchants.

In 1960 James Deery had pubs at 306 Garscube Road and 59 Bantaskin Street. In the same year there was a Michael Deery trading from Deery’s Bar at 44 John Knox Street.

In 1965 James Deery took over an new public house at 735-39 Balmore Road, The Inn.

The Southern Bar.

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60 Eglinton Street, corner of 2 Wallace Street, Glasgow. G5 9DE. Demolished.

Image of the Southern Bar Eglinton Street corner of Wallace Street 1930s
The Southern Bar. 1940.

The Southern Bar was situated at the corner of Eglinton Street and Wallace Street.

When a new tenement building was erected in 1873 at the corner of 60-62 Eglinton Street and 4 Wallace Street, William Craig was granted a licence to sell wine and spirits.

Mr Craig was already an established liquor merchant in Glasgow having premises at 52-54 West Street, Tradeston at the corner of Nelson Street; he also operated a licensed grocer’s (off sales) shop at 36 Pollok Street formerly owned by Thomas Bennett.
In 1889 he took over the pub at 15-17 Norfolk Street (Garry Owen) near to Gorbals Cross, at that time there were twelve pubs trading on Norfolk Street. William Craig came to Glasgow from Inchinan, Renfrew where he was born.

In 1881 he was living at Craigmiller, Nithsdale Road with his wife Janet and had a large family of three sons and three daughters. Also living with them was his father-in-law Robert Miller a retired Mercantile Clerk, along with his wife’s aunt Susan.

Image of Mr William Craig 1898
Mr William Craig. 1898.

Mr Craig was making enough money in the licensed trade and could afford two domestic servants. When the Mr and Mrs Craig took over a beautiful villa in Nithsdale Road they named it Craigmiller after their surnames.

When the family moved to St John’s Road, Pollokshields they renamed this villa “Craigmiller”.

William was born in Inchinan in 1842. He came to Glasgow in 1862 and identified himself with the retail Trade, entering the service of Mr John Aitken, of Dalmoak, Dumbartonshire, in his public house in High Street. Mr Aitken was at that time one of the best known and highly esteemed members of the Trade in the city. He was one of the founders of the Benevolent Institution and was its second president, filling the chair in 1870 until his death.

After a time Mr Craig left Aitken’s employment and joined the staff of George Robin, remaining with that gentleman until January 1868, when he started business on his own account in West Street, Tradeston. In 1873 William took over new premises at 60-62 Eglinton Street “The Station Bar” formerly owned by Mr Robin since 1842. Mr Craig then acquired the Pollok Street establishment which he made his head-quarters. He then took over premises at Norfolk Street in 1889.

William Craig was heavily involved in all trade matters including the Benevolent Institution in 1876 and a member of the Board of Directors since 1892. He then carried out important work in the Institution’s Committees. He was also involved in the Pension’s Committee and was appointed vice-president in 1896. He was fortunate in having the unique experience of being president during the year of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, and of seeing the pensioners of the Institution suitably looked after.

Mr Craig was a member of the Incorporation of Coopers and of the Incorporation of Wrights. Of the former Incorporation he had the honour of being elected Deacon in 1889, and one year he was also Trades’ House representative on the Board of Governors of the Victoria Infirmary. He was a member of the Grocer Company. He was an enthusiastic bowler and was a representative of the Queen’s Park club which carried off the Eglinton cup in 1895. In later years Mr Craig had deserted bowling for Golf and enjoyed playing at Troon or Pollok course. He was a great swimmer and won the life-saving certificate of the Humane Society for plunging into the Clyde and saving a drowning child.

William Craig’s public houses and the grocers business was demolished many years age, West Street was demolished in the 1960s, Norfolk Street followed in the 70s, then owned by Michael Joseph Heraghty the well-known Garry Owen Bar, the Southern Bar was the last to survive and was demolished shortly afterwards.

Image of the Cottage Bar Eglinton Street corner of Wallace Street 1970s
The Cottage Bar.

The Cottage at the corner of Eglinton Street and Wallace Street. 1970s.

Image of the Cottage Bar Eglinton Street corner of Wallace Street 1970s
The Cottage Bar.

The Cottage. Thanks to Norrie McNamee for the images.

Facts…
Other licensees …
M Reuben 1977.
Donald J Grant 1973-1966.
Frederick W Miller 1960.
J N Murdock 1945.
James W Smith 1937.
A Smith 1934.
J W Whittot 1933.
T Quin 1923.

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

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