Gallowgate

479 Gallowgate, Glasgow, G31 4DN. Demolished.

The Bellgrove Bar sat at the corner of Gallowgate and Bellgrove Street in the east end of the city.

There has been a public house on this site since 1846. The owner was then a Mr William McNee. In 1856 Alexander Bulloch a spirit merchant was trading from here. The following year John Dickie occupied the premises then followed by Alexander Hamilton a year later.

Alexander Crawford a wine and spirit merchant took over the premises from 1859 until 1860, however he passed away and his wife took over the running of the pub until 1866. Her son James then took control of the business in 1867. The family lived nearby at 475 Gallowgate. James passed away at an early age in 1870. His wife then got full control of the pub, however she could not hold the licence for long as she had a young family to bring up and the pub was closed for good in 1871.

The building was in need of full renovation as the building was quite old. A new tenement was erected on the same site with a public house on the ground floor and was finished around 1875. At that time well-known and respected wine and spirit merchant John Graham took over the brand new public house and called it John Graham and Sons.

Mr Graham was not new to the wine and spirit trade as he was well established, having a pub at 12 Stirling Street now Blackfriar Street off the High Street near Glasgow Cross. The Graham family lived at 202 Bath Street, city centre.

he following year John Graham & Sons had premises at 12 Stirling Street, 1 New Street, 31 Stevenson Street, 18 Canning Street (London Road), 419 Argyle Street and 69 Graeme Street now Bell Street. The firm were also had a wine merchant brokers office at 14 Renfield Street.

John Graham’s sons were Archibald Bulloch Graham and David Runciman Graham, both were left to run the business on their own when father David passed away around 1886. Archibald took over 29-31 Stevenson Street in August 1887, 225-227 Gallowgate in August 1881, 69 Graeme Street now Bell Street in August 1887, 1-3 New Street / 2 Well Street, Calton in August 1887. David took over 204-206 Saracen Street in June 1883, 12 Stirling Street now Blackfriar Street in August 1887, 479 Bellgrove Street in August 1887, 419 Argyle Street / 95 Carrick Street in August 1887.

David R Graham continued in the Gallowgate premises and the other pubs he owned in 1922.

A transfer was granted to Mr David R Graham’s manager of 13 years James Smith in 1922. Mr Smith was 40 years of age, married and had a family of 8 children, living at 564 Gallowgate. The following year James and his family moved house to better accommodation at Crofthill Avenue, Uddingston. The old sign above the pub John Graham & Sons was taken down and a new name was put in it’s place “The Bellgrove Bar.”

The Smith family continued serving the locals at the Bellgrove Bar well into the 1940s. James’s wife Jane took over the licence in 1937 for a few years before the pub was taken over by Robert Robertson McBride in 1972. By this time the pub was owned by Tennent Caledonian Breweries, many will remember William Freeburn Graham one of the last licensees until the pub was demolished just like many other Gallowgate pubs in 1973.

Facts…

Licence Holders

1846 William McNee.

1856 Alexander Bulloch.

1857 John Dickie.

1858 Alexander Hamilton.

1859 Alexander Crawford.

1862 Mrs Alexander Crawford.

1867 James Crawford.

1871 Mrs James Crawford.

1876 John Graham.

1887 David Runciman Graham.

1922 James Smith.

1937 Mrs Jane Smith.

1972 Robert Richardson McBride. for Tennents.

1973 William Freeburn Graham for Tennents.

Do you known anything about this old pub? If so please leave a comment below.

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