Finnieston Street Pubs

Dirty Dicks

January 8, 2017 by John Gorevan 2 Comments

175 Finnieston Street, Glasgow. G3 8HD. Demolished.

Image of Dirty Dicks bar 175 Finnieston Street dated 1938 — Dirty Dicks. 1938.

Dirty Dick’s was a favourite haunt with sailor’s. To read more on the history of this once popular bar you will need to wait until Glasgow Pubs and Publicans Volume 2 comes out.

There has been a public house on this site since 1853, Thomas Welch ran a small public house on this site until 1860.

There were no records for anyone trading after this until 1865 when well-known and respected wine and spirit merchant J & R McIntyre acquired a licence to sell wine and spirits from these premises which was a new tenement with a public house on the ground floor.

Brothers John and Ronald traded under the title of J & R McIntyre and was trading from 1863 from premises at 179 Main Street, 35 Kelvinhaugh Street, and 43 Richard Street before taking over the new premises at 175 Finnieston Street.

Image of Dirty Dicks Bar 175 Finnieston Street dated 1948 — Dirty Dicks. 1948.

The name of the pub then had J & R McIntyre above the door.

In 1870 John was living at 4 Gray Street just off Dumbarton Road while Ronald lived nearby at 9 Minerva Street. Ten years later the brothers had public houses at 50 Elderslie Street, 400 New City Road, 546 Dobbies Loan, 28 Burnside Street, 43 Richard Street, 49 Piccadilly Street, 35 Kelvinhaugh Street and stores at 16 Cranston Street.

In 1890 the brother were trading from 175 Finnieston Street, 179 Main Street, Cranstonhill, 50 Elderslie Street, 526 New City Road, 540 Dobbies Loan, 28 Burnside Street, 43 Richard Street, 49 Piccadilly Street and their offices still at 16 Cranston Street.

J & R McIntyre still traded after 1894 however the firm disposed on the Finnieston Street pub.

The next licensee was John H McLauchlin, John lived at 40 St Vincent Street and traded from Finnieston Street until the 1935.

From 1935 until the 1940s Patrick W McNulty was licensee, he also had a pub at 129 Oxford Street and resided at 87 Barnton Street, Carntyne, in Glasgow’s east end.

During the 1950s and 60s many will still remember James McLaughlan who owned the pub, he was the last licensee before the pub was demolished.

Image of Dirty Dicks bar 175 Finnieston Street dated 1955 — Dirty Dicks. 1955.

Thanks to Glasgow Museums for this great image of Dirty Dicks which was taken by Partick Camera Club.

Facts…

Licensees…

1960-50 James McLaughlan.

1940 Patrick W McNulty.

1930-1894 John H McLauchlin.

1894-65 J & R McIntyre.

1960-53 Thomas Welch.

Also see Ship Inn Bar, Kelvinhaugh Street.

Do you remember this old pub? If so please leave a comment.

Artizan Vaults.

January 2, 2017 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

3 Finnieston Street, Glasgow. Demolished.

Mr Robert C Kerr. 1897.

Wine and Spirit Merchant Robert C Kerr was born in Catrine, Ayrshire, Robert Burns country. Robert was educated at the village school. He started work very early in the cotton mills, cotton spinning being at that time one of the stable industries of Scotland.

Robert then went on to be a miner. What a change of occupation, from soft cotton to hard dark coal mining. Young Robert then can to Glasgow and worked in a large east end cotton factory. He then entered the spirit trade as an assistant in a pub owned by Mrs Armour, Stevenson Street, Calton.

Mr Kerr was very ambitious and mastered the trade, hoping to once own his own public houses. When the Anchor Tavern, 21 Argyle Street came on the market Robert jumped at the chance to be his own boss.

After acquiring the licence, business was good and seven years later opened the Artizan Vaults in Finnieston Street. Robert managed boss premises and was assisted by his son in the Anchor Bar. The Anchor Bar was located on the confines of the Trongate and in one of the busiest parts of Argyle Street.

Dick’s Bar, 3 Finnieston Street. 1966.

The history of the Anchor Bar dates back to 1788.

When Robert took over the Artizan Vaults in June 1895 the place was in great need of refurbishment. Robert installed incandescent light throughout the pub and the rooms were both comfortable and well ventilated. One neat little snuggery, known as the “Cosy Den”. A new gantry and spirit rack behind the bar was among the handsomest in the area, the walls were decorated with pictures and mirrors.

There was a large cellar underneath the premises from which beer was raised in cool and perfect condition by a Bruce beer engine. All the best whisky and liquor was stocked in the Artizan.

Robert became a licence holder in 1889, entered upon the Anchor on the 17th October 1889;m obtained the transfer on the 17th December; bought the “Artizan” on 17th June, 1895; and obtained the transfer 17th April, 1896. Seven is surely his lucky number.

Dick’s Bar. 3 Finnieston Street.

The history of the Artizan can be traced back to 1867 when Wine and Spirit Merchant James Taylor acquired a certificate to sell wines and spirits at 3 Finnieston Street. James was born in Rutherglen.

By 1880 James was living with his family at 5 Finnieston Street and purchased another public house The Royal Bar, 328 Scotland Street at the corner of Watt Street. Five years later we find his residing at 115 Dumbarton Road before moving to 16 Strone Terrace, Dowanhill, so business was very good.

In 1881 James was living with his wife Janet Colquhoun with seven daughters and one son.

When Mr James Taylor passed away in the early part of 1890s his wife took over the business until 1895.

Robert C Kerr then took over the pub. Robert was living at 91 North Hanover Street in the city centre. He gave up the Artizan Vaults in 1898.

David Burrell then took over the pub and continued to serve the locals until 1908.

Another well-known and respected Glasgow Publican to own the pub was James McCondach, who ran the pub until the 1950s. Many will still remember Raphael Issacs in the 1960s before Mr John Dick took over the pub and renamed it Dicks Bar.

In the 1950s this old pub was known as the Cosy Corner. Maybe someone was renovating the old bar and saw a sign the “Cosy Den” in the snug bar and renamed the pub the Cosy Corner.

Do you know anything about this pub? If so please leave a comment.

END.

Columba Bar

January 2, 2017 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

41 Finnieston Street, Glasgow. G3 8HB. Demolished.

Finnieston Street has always been well provided for in terms of drinking places, with all the sailors, mariners, boatmen, engineers from the quays nearby. The tills in all the pubs in Finnieston Street, Anderston Quay, Lancefield Quay and Broomielaw were filled with foreign currency as the customers came from all corners of the world.

The first licensee to own this pub was John Lawrence who obtained a certificate in April 1873. John was born in England in 1827. He met his wife and had a family in England before coming to Glasgow to set up business as a publican. In 1881 John was residing at 43 Finnieston Street with his wife Prudence, son William who was a butcher to trade and son John who assistance his father in the licensed trade.

John continued business here until 1907. In October 1908 the licence was taken over by Archibald Jackson. Mr Jackson refurbished the premises and putting his own decor into the pub and renamed the pub Jackson’s Bar.

Archibald Jackson made a good living out of the licensed trade. In 1921 he was living at 38 Randolph Gardens before moving to 58 Balshagray Avenue in 1941. Archibald’s also owned a public house at 82-84 Castlebank Street, Partick.

In 1919 Margaret Ann Swan Jackson was licensee of the pub on Castlebank Street. She was paying an annual rent of £65 for the pub.

During the 1960s the pub was licensed to Florence Mary McBride Jackson Griffins, she was also licensee of the Castlebank Street premises.

Throughout the pubs history only two different families owned it.

The pub was demolished in the mid 1960s.

Do you remember this old Pub? If so please leave a comment.