Rutherglen has a great history of auld pubs. This is a list of all the pubs in Rutherglen that we have research on. There are a lot more articles to come in the near future. If you know anything about any old Rutherglen pubs, please get in touch.
Rutherglen.
Champion Darts Player, that’s H Duncan, left, who won the Tennent Caledonian Breweries West Region singles title from a big entry at the Gaiety. Mr Duncan, seen with his wife and Mr R J Kirkman, West area regional manager for Tennent Caledonian Breweries., plays at the Old Spot Bar, Rutherglen. The team championship was won by Bellfield Bar, Kilmarnock. Prizes were presented by W R C Elliot, managing director, Tennents Caledonian Breweries. 1967.
Facts…
Old Rutherglen Inns.
The Auld Ruglen Spirit Vaults, Main Street, this was once a thatched roof weather-beaten tavern, and was once called the Eclipse tavern owned by Mr Thomas Rae, he employed a manager Willy Gray, Mr Rae also owned the Stonefield tavern, Blantyre. In 1889 the thatched roof came down and a slate one put in it’s place, Mr Alexander Russell took over this old tavern along with the Stonefield Tavern, Blantyre in 1989.
The Auld Hoose Distillery Stores, Main Street, Old Granny Kirkwood, a dounce, canny old fashioned Scotswoman owned it for over 50 years.
The Thistle,
The Fountain, owned by James Deans.
The Royal Bar, 72 Main Street.
In 1899 there were 36 public houses in Rutherglen with 14 licensed grocers.
18 of the pubs were situated on Main Street. If you were looking towards Cambuslang there were 7 pubs on your right with 11 on your left.
In 1953 8 licensed premises of the present 26 will disappear in the next 20 years under Rutherglen’s Development Plan it was stated at a public inquiry in Rutherglen Town hall.
7 public houses and 1 licensed grocers was under threat and scheduled for demolition, this evidence on the opening day of the enquiry showed that if the plan were approved Rutherglen would be left with seven pub in one street and one each in seven other streets.
Mrs Givens, licensee of a pub at 26 Main Street stated that the population of 25,000, there were actually only 4 licensed grocers and 22 pubs, a total of 26, or a ratio of one licence to 932 of the population.
If as suggested under the development plan, eight licensed premises were taken away, that would leave only a ratio of one to 1346, of the population.
A new development of shops, and flats above were to be erected on a piece of ground of triangular shape to the west end of Main Street where the pubs were situated.
John Galbraith, Pastry Baker and Confectioner, 214 Main Street, Rutherglen.
Another pastry baker was James Cowan, his premises were at 41 Main Street. His restaurant, one of the most flurishing in the area. This gentleman did a considerable business in purveying and every requisite for soirees and parties were lent by him on hire. The establishment was well known in and around Rutherlen.
Pastry Baker and Confectioner, 214 Main Street, Rutherglen.
Mr John Galbraith. 1890.
Mr John Galbraith operated at 214 Main Street, Rutherglen in the 1890s, not a single function in Rutherglen was missed by his supervision. He had experience in both side of the Atlantic, having raised himself in the kitchen to the management of the Leland House a popular summer resort on Lake Schroon in the State of New York. A practical chef, baker, confectioner and pastry baker was so well known in Rutherglen, trading in this burgh for years.
Catering for the Cattle and Horticultural shows and the Jubilee Banquets and besides supplying the Magisterial dinner, purveyed also for the feast given to over 700 poorer people.
In his spare time he loved a game of Bowls and Curling he was also an ardent Freemason.
149 Main Street, Rutherglen, Glasgow. G73.
Tower. 1991.
The Tower situated on the corner of King Street and Main Street, Rutherglen in the shadow of the Town Hall’s tower. It was one of the smallest pubs in Scotland. A mere 5 yards long and 3 yards wide. It was doubled in size in 1962 and a new lounge of the same size added on the first floor. The shop next door a former bakery was taken over by Usher’s Brewery and the refurbishment was carried on, with a remodeled public bar on the ground floor and the lounge above this was one of the most up-to-date pubs in the area. The main bar was panelled in walnut, to head height with wallpaper of gold and brown stripes on the upper parts. The new solid mahogany bar counter was set at the far end. The gantry was neatly divided into shelves with glass backing.
Wall seating was added in red leather with the floor in red and cream linoleum. The lounge was entered from the front door on the left hand side, a large window looked out onto the Main Street. Again the wall panelling was of walnut and the wallpaper was of a pale lemon, the carpet was a rich green and black and ran the full length of the lounge, seating accommodation was cushioned red moquette. The counter was a replica of the downstairs, the tables were of almond shaped mahogany.
The premises were again refurbished in 1968, taking in the shop next door. The renovation work took 6 weeks. A feature in the bar was a clock with an unusual shape.
left to right Donald Gordon, West of Scotland managed houses supervisor for Usher’s, I G Donaldson, managing director of Usher’s, R Nimmo, manager of the managed houses, Usher’s. At the opening of the new lounge 1962.
The new Lounge Bar. 1968.
The Tower Bar, Main Street, reopened after a six week renovation. A new lounge bar, shaped from the acquired shop next door, had been added. Fitted out in modern decor, the lounge can seat between 40 and 50 people and has a clock with an unusual design.
The Tower Bar was taken over by Usher’s brewery in 1963. The manager was Mr William Sangster. James Gordon, Usher’s area supervisor pulled the first pint.
Update November 2009. The Tower Bar has closed down and is now a Bookies, thanks to Norrie McNamee for the images..
William Hill the bookies has taken over the old Tower Bar. November 2009.
Interior view of the new lounge bar 1968.
Rutherglen.
Rangers footballer Willie Henderson knocking down a pile of pennies in aid of the British Empire Cancer Campaign for Research in the Pop Inn, Rutherglen. Looking on are A D Cameron, secretary, British Empire Cancer Fund; Harry Sergeant, Provost of Rutherglen; James Elliot, proprietor of the Pop Inn and G MacKenzie, M.P. for Rutherglen. 1970.
This image was taken in 1972 on the occasion of the Ind Coope reception. Mr B G Frost, free trade sales director, Tetley’s met some of the Ind Coope customers at a reception at the Ind Coope offices in Clyde Street. Mr Frost (second from the right) is seen with Messrs Miller Reid, Reid’s Bar; James Elliot, Pop Inn; T Heenan, La Cala; R Meiklem, Montgomerie Arms in East Kilbride and W Langham, catering manager, British Rail (Scotland.)
1 Chapel Street, Rutherglen.
Ye Olde Inn with the licensees’ name above the door, “Brennan.”
Ye Olde Inn had an established date of 1650. Before television and radio customers at the old Inn told stories and tales that were passed down to the next generation of locals, one such story was that Ye Olde Inn had witnessed on May, 1679, when armed horsemen rode into the town and fixed to the cross a Declaration and Testimony of the true Presbyterian Church, an act of revolt which led to the bloody battles of Drumclog and Bothwell Brig.
Another story that was told within the thick brick walls of Ye Olde Inn, was a gentleman called James Philipshill a cooper, who in 1668 was banned by the Magistrates from all brewers and sellers of drink in the Burgh. A prohibitory order to this effect was issued with the humane proviso, and the very obvious loophole for abuse, that his wife and bairns might buy drink for the use of house and family. the penalty for serving Philipshill with drink was £5.
The Inn was once both tavern and dairy with its own cow. Thus a demand for a pint and a pint could conveniently cover both domestic and personal requirements.
That famous old Rutherglen custom of baking sour cakes on St Luke’s eve is almost sure to have been observed in Ye Olde Inn. The tradition demanded the services of six elderly ladies who prepared the cakes and passed them to their Queen for toasting. The cakes distributed to passer-by.
For many years Rutherglen Main Street was where you could buy and trade Clydesdale horses, on market day. Rutherglen fair was another important event in the burgh, this holding of street fairs came to an end as increasing traffic put a stop to it.
Over the years many families have traded in Ye Olde Inn, in the 1870s the inn was called The OddFellows Arms Inn, it then had an established date of 1836 ,over the years this date seems to have got older by nearly 200 years. The occupier of the old premises was grocer Thomson, he kept a badger, later the old establishment was passed to the Mr Shearer, he was a contractor and lived in the premises. In 1879 John McDonald took over as licensee, thirteen years later the inn was combined with the Glendronach Distillery Stores.
Ye Olde Inn. 1948.
In the late part of the 1890s Patrick Brennan was landlord and licensee and afterwards Mr F J Doran. The licence was transferred to the Murray family which was still in the same family circle. Mrs Mary Murray worked in the bar when she was 18 years of age, she and her husband then ran the pub until it was demolished in the 1960s.
Four large whisky barrels of early vintage used to sit on the gantry, apart from this there were nothing of historic interest left inside the bar apart from the large wooden table that sat in one of the parlour’s, it must have been made inside the old inn as it was to big and bulky to fit through the windows or any of the doors of the premises. A mystery that baffled customers and residents of Rutherglen for many many years.
A new pub was found for the Murray family which still stands today and called the Fairway.
Ye Olde Inn with a drummer standing outside.
Date and source unknown.
Do you remember this old Pub? If so please leave a comment.
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