20 A HISTORY OF 



for a set of these at Mr, Sterne Tighe's in Usher's 

 quay, Dublin. Enterprise such as this, and the success 

 that crowned Mr. Colics' efforts, were welcomed by 

 the Society, and every encouragement was given to 

 any persons who might be willing to extend the industry 

 in Irish marble. 



The following members were invited to formulate 

 queries on the several subjects assigned to them : 

 The Bishop of Down (Dr. Francis Hutchinson), 

 'Bogs; Rev. Dr. Kearney, Manures ; H. Boyd, Coals ; 

 William Hoey, Lead and Copper ; Rev. Dr. Jackson, 

 Ploughing and Harrowing. Dr. Hutchinson was a 

 native of Derby, and on his election to the see of 

 Down he settled in Lisburn. During his episcopate 

 a clergyman was first appointed to minister to the 

 inhabitants of Rathlin Island, numbering about 500, 

 and a Raghlin Church Catechism, with Irish and 

 English in parallel columns, was printed for their use. 

 Why the Bishop should have been asked to take up 

 the subject of Bogs is not clear, but as he had written 

 on employment of the poor, and published a statement 

 of the case of the Island of Rathlin, he may have had 

 special knowledge. In passing, it may be remarked 

 that two other bishops of the Irish Church dealt with the 

 subject of bogs. Archbishop King wrote a discourse 

 concerning the u Bogs and Loughs of Ireland," and 

 Ware says that Theophilus Bolton, archbishop of 

 Cashel, was an improver of land by draining large and 

 useless bogs, and turning them into pasture and tillage. 



Though the Society was only a short time in exist- 

 ence, the matter of its applying for a Royal Charter 

 was taken up in February 1732, and a copy of the 

 Royal Society's Charter was ordered to be procured as 

 a precedent. 



Dr. Stephens read before the Society an account of 



