372 Crown Street, Glasgow. G5. Demolished.
The Crown. Thanks to Norrie McNamee for the image.
The Crown sat at the corner of Crown Street and Caledonia Road.
Grocer and Wine & Spirit Merchant Archibald Kinloch was the first licensee for these premises when they were built in 1874.
Crown was never short of public houses in fact there used to be 20 drinking establishments on this south side street.
Archibald Kinloch lived with his family at 151 Sandyfaulds Street before moving to 42 Garturk Street, Govanhill. In 1888 Mr Kinloch had another public house at 179 Caledonia Road at the corner of South Wellington Street now Lawmoor Street.
Archibald Kinloch passed away in 1889. His wife Janet then took over the business of the two pubs, however she gave up the wine and spirit trade in the early part of the 1900s.
Another wine and spirit dealer then took over, he was Donald McLaren. In 1909 he was paying an annul rent of £65. In the depression of 1921 just after the First World War things were bad not only for publican but for everyone in the country. Rashining was still in full swing.
On that same year Donald was caught by the local authorities after baying stolen bacon from another publican Donald McLean. He ran a pub at 26 Carmichael Street, Govan, many will remember this old pub as the Wid-dows Bar.
At the Sheriff Court…
“I have an objection to lodge against the present licence holder Donald. At the Sheriff Court on the 30th November 1921 he was convicted of reset and sentenced to two months imprisonment with hard labour for having, in consent with and the man, resetted a case of bacon, stolen from the harbour. The bacon was valued at £60 and was stolen from the Princes Dock.
The transaction of the reset was carried out by Mr Donald McLean at the pub of which he was then manager, at 26 Carmichael Street, Govan. The sum of £11 being paid for the stolen bacon. Mr Donald McLaren has conducted the running of his bar for 10 years without any fault what so ever, except for an 18 month break during which time he was in the Army. He sold the pub to his brother William for the sum of £750. The licence was refused, however, on appeal he was granted the licence.”
Donald continued as licensee until the mid 1930s. William McLaren then took over the running of the business until 1950.
The business was sold to another well known publican, Alexander (Alex) Grant. The pub then was known as Grant’s Bar.
Do you remember this old pub? if so please get in touch and have your say.
END.