Medals and Medallists connected with Ireland. 13 



ON THE 25th of JULY, 1768," I am pleased to have the Opportunity of preserving 

 this record of any testimonial to the merits of so celebrated a man as Malone, 

 and the more so as I had vainly sought from the gentlemen of Westmeath any 

 account of the occasion on which the medal was struck, as in fact it appeared 

 totally unknown to those of whom I made the inquiry. 



The reigns of the two last Georges constitute an aera in the medallic art, of 

 which Ireland may be justly proud, as it produced two artists, who, notwithstand- 

 ing the difficulties under which they laboured, were the authors of some speci- 

 mens in the art, that will not lose by comparison with those of the most skilful in 

 that line in any country. They were both natives of Dublin, and when I men- 

 tion the names of William Mossop, father and son, every admirer of medals will 

 justify me in endeavouring to rescue from oblivion such memorials of them as I 

 have been able to obtain. Through the kindness of Edward Hawkins, Esq. of 

 the British Museum, I have been put in possession of, and allowed to use, several 

 letters and pieces of autobiography from William Stephen Mossop, jun,, which 

 give the Academy a security for their authenticity, but I shall state them very 

 briefly, as they might otherwise extend this memoir to an unreasonable length. 

 The series published by these two artists amounts to more than seventy pieces. 



William Stephen Mossop, the elder, was born in Dublin A. D, 1751, and 

 about 1765 was placed with Mr, Stone, at that time regarded in Dublin as a man 

 possessed of considerable ingenuity as a die sinker, but whose talents never carried 

 him higher than making a steel letter, or some other mechanical work. Here 

 Mossop's time was thrown away, and his term of apprenticeship passed in the mere 

 drudgery of a trade. Stone was employed in making seals for the Linen Board, 

 and upon this work Mossop was chiefly engaged, and by his exertions mainly con- 

 tributed to the support of his master's family. Stone soon fell a victim to intem- 

 perate habits, and was succeeded by his son, who following his lamentable example, 

 died in the same wretched way. Mossop was then engaged to work for the 

 Linen Board on his own account, and continued to execute their orders until 

 1781, when a change in the system of the Board threw him out of employment, 

 burthened with a wife and growing family. At this period he was induced, 

 from an accidental circumstance, to undertake some higher works of art. A per- 

 son intending to purchase some medals, submitted them to the judgment of 

 Mossop, who then, for the first time, had an opportunity of contemplating those 



