40 Bridgegate, Glasgow
This establishment was known as The Wee Man in the 1970s and known as Blacks in the late 1800s.
Selling Whisky to Children – 1889
Joseph Black, spirit merchant at 40 Bridgegate was brought up at the Glasgow Central Police Court in October 1889 charged with supplying three boys – James Goodwin (10), Robert McQuade (11) and William Murphy (12) with a gill and two half-mutchkins of whisky on Friday, 12th of July 1889.
The boys stayed overnight in the Model Lodging-house in King Street (On the 11th) and left there at 8 o’clock the next morning. They then went to Black’s public-house in Bridgegate. James Goodwin entered the premises to get the whisky while the other two kids stayed outside.
When Goodwin came out with the whisky, the kids then drank the whisky in a close next to the shop. The kids don’t remember anything after this. McQuade and Murphy woke up in the infirmary after being found by a man that carried them to a policeman as they were not moving. Goodwin was able to walk away though and wasn’t admitted to the infirmary.
The charge for this was £5.00 or 14 days imprisonment.
This article was taken from the National Guardian in 1889 that we have exclusively digitized for members. If you become a member you can view a ‘new’ issue of the National Guardian every month! Click here to find out more about becoming a member.
