Old Glasgow Pubs

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The Grand Bar

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156-58 Cowcaddens, Glasgow.

Grand Bar

The Grand Bar.

This was originally Thomas Galloway’s premises, formerly owned by John Steel, Mr Steel also had premises at the corner of Saltmarket and London Road.

Mr Galloway owned this pub from 1876, he also owned pubs on Raeberry Street, 214 Hope Street, 179 New City Road, 110 North Street, 533 New City Road and 9 Sauchiehall Street.

John L Kelly owned the pub during the 1930s, he also had the Germiston Bar now the Glen Bar, Forge Street. Check out the history of the Germiston Bar in our book or our video on Youtube.

The photograph above was taken in 1963 it was demolished shortly afterwards.

Also see The Woodside Inn.

Licence Holders.
1960 David McLaren.
1937 John L Kelly.
1919-1876 Thomas Galloway.
1875 John Steel.

The Granary. Samuel Dow.

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1157 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow. G41 3NH. Tel: 0141 649 0594.

Exterior view of the Granary, Kilmarnock Roiad 1991
The Granary, 1991.

The Granary opened in 1983, formerly Samuel Dows bar.

Samuel Dow opened premises here on this site way back in 1875. Mr Dow continued as licensee until 1894, then Alexander McWilliam continued a one of Dow’s trustees. Mr McWilliam was a well known and trusted wine & spirit merchant in Glasgow. He also held the license for premises at Dow’s other premises at Great Western Road and Mitchell Street.

Exterior view of Samuel Dow's premises late 1890s
Samuel Dow, 1890s.

In 1903 John A Dow held the license until 1937.

In the NEWS 1965…

The firm of John Dow and Samuel Dow merged in a £580,000 deal with Wood Hall Trusts Ltd.

Interior view of Samuel Dow's premises in Kilmarnock Road 1945
Samuel Dow, new bar 1945.

To read more on the history of Samuel Dow click here.

Exterior view of the Granary, Kilmarnock Road 2019
The Granary, 2019.
Exterior view of the Granary, Pollokshaws Road 2019
The Granary, 2019.
Facts…

License Holders…

1875 Samuel Dow.

1895 Alexander McWilliam.

1903 John A Dow.

1973 Alexander Tindal.

1990 Moira Cunningham for (Allied Breweries.)

Also see Dow’s other establishments.
Mitchell Street, Dundas Street, Great Western Road, Nithsdale Road.
Do you remember this old pub? If so please leave a comment.
END.

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Graham’s Tartan Lounge

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37 Saltmarket, Glasgow. G1Tel: 01415520567.

Graham's

Graham’s Bar, 1991.

To read the full history of this old establishment click here.

This old public house is now called O’Brien’s.

O'Brien's

O’Brien’s. August 2005.

In 1892 Mr Graham the proprietor once reported what he say in London was awful, “A throbbing mass of drunken humanity of every age and sex, from the girl or youth of fourteen summers to the hoary-headed old man and woman.”

Graham’s

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481-483 Cathedral Street, Glasgow.

Graham's

This old pub was situated on Cathedral Street near Buchanan Street.

There has been a public house on this site since 1851. The first licensee was William Robertson who became a popular wine & spirit merchant in the area. Mr Robertson also owned pubs at 7-9 West Nile Street, 299 Argyle Street. He lived with his family first at nearby Stirling’s Road before moving to better accommodation in Sauchiehall Street.

William Robertson continued to serve the locals in Townhead until 1862. The next licensee was Robert Robin junior. The Robin family continued in this public house until 1875. George Robin took over the pub in 1868 until his death in 1870, his wife then took over until 1874.

Alexander Graham traded from this very old pub in the 1880s, he also owned pubs in Argyle Street, Oxford Street and Crown Street. Mr Graham was president of the Scottish Wine and Spirit Merchants and Beer Trades Benevolent Institution in 1891, he was regarded as a straightforward type of Scotsman, bluff in his manner, but underneath the exterior as true as steel and as solid as gold. He was born in Largs and came to Glasgow in 1865, he acquired licence’s for premises in Oxford Street and Crown Street before venturing out into the city centre.

To read more on Mr Graham click here Jack Diamonds.

At the beginning of the 1900 John McAulay was running the business as one of the trustees of Alexander Graham, which included both premises at Cathedral Street and Argyle Street. In 1910 William Wingate was running the pubs which included his own premises at 142 Houston Street which sat at the corner of Ardgowan Street.

After the first World War, Thomas Waugh Lang took control of the business and traded under the title of Alexander Graham. Before the second World War Thomas Waugh Lang, of Lang Brothers Ltd, was licensee. The Lang Brothers consisted of, Alexander Lang, William G Lang, Thomas Lang, Alex & William Galloway Lang, having premises at 128-30 Broomielaw. Hugh Lang 1803 in Eaglesham, Hugh and his sons founded a Company Lang Bros. In 1876 they bought Glengoyne distillery.

Robert Stuart Lang was the last licesee of Graham’s Bar.

Alexander Graham

Alexander Graham. 1891.

Licence Holders.
1902 John McAulay (for Alexander Graham’s trustees).
1899 Alexander Graham.
1885 Andrew McDonald.
1878 John shaw.
1874 Mrs George Robin.
1870 George Robin jun.
1868 Robert Robin jun.
1862 William Robertson.

The Govanhill Bar

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332 Thistle Street,Gorbals, Glasgow.

Govanhill Bar

Govanhill Bar. 1970s.

The history of this old favourite Gorbals howff goes back to 1877 when Peter McDonald acquired the premises as a store for his wine, spirit and rectifying business. Mr McDonald also had a public house round the corner at 91-97 Cathcart Street. Business prospered and within a few years he was living in one of the best street in the Gorbals, Abbotsford Place.

He eventually acquired a licence for the premises and traded under the title of Carlton Vintners Co., by this time he was operating a massive wholesale and retail business at 4 Carlton Place, and a public house in Adelphi Street at the corner of Muirhead Street also called the Carlton Vintners Co.

Peter McDonald Carlton Place

Peter McDonald’s premises, 4 Carlton Place. 1892.

Govanhill Bar Gorbals

Govanhill Bar.

In 1899 William Morrison took over the licence, he also traded from 364 Rutherglen Road at the corner of Sandyfaulds Street many will remember this pub as Gilmour’s Bar.

Govanhill Bar

Govanhill Bar. 1960s.

This pub will best be remembered as Gallagher’s Bar. Hugh Gallagher took over the Govanhill Bar licence on 10th March 1970. However Mr Gallagher wasn’t new to the trade as he was a well known and respected Gorbals publican, wine and spirit merchant and a former president of the Glasgow Licensed Trade Benevolent Association He also had licensed premises at 173 Cumberland Street, “The Tirconnail Bar” and the “Glenbervie” at 185 Gorbals Street, The Minerva Bar, 631 Argyle Street, 32 Raglan Street.

Govanhill Bar Gorbals

Govanhill Bar. 1980s.

Govanhill Bar

Govanhill Bar. 1991.

One of the last publicans to hold the licence was Joseph Gaughan in 1991. The pub was finally demolished a few years later like most of the other pubs in the Gorbals.

Licence Holders.
1991 JosephGaughan.
1970 Hugh Gallagher.
1960 J McKeown.
1950-30 Francis McKeown.
1920-1910 F McCorley.
1899-1892 William Morrison.
1892-1877 Peter McDonald.