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.
Old Rutherglen Inn Facts…
The Auld Ruglen Spirit Vaults, Main Street, this 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.
The Auld Hoose Distillery Stores, Main Street, Old Granny Kirkwood, a dounce, canny old fashioned Scotswoman owned it for over 50 years.
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.
Do you remember this old Pub? If so please leave a comment.
END.
