94 A HISTORY OF 



by the celebrated Mr. Elkington in the art of draining 

 land. The committee did not, however, then send 

 anyone, in view of the likelihood of Elkingtcn's 

 coming here himself, which he afterwards did. 



In March 1796, the Society notified its intention of 

 giving up the Grafton street premises, and advertise- 

 ments for proposals for their purchase were to be in- 

 serted in the daily papers. The offer of James Blacker, 

 Parliament street, and Ambrose Moore, Dame street, 

 to purchase them for 3000 fine and payment of the 

 ground rent was accepted. From the nth of August 

 in that year the Society met at the repository, Hawkins 

 street, whither also the drawing schools were moved. 

 The two chimneypieces which stood in the meeting 

 room in Grafton street were taken down and put up 

 in the new premises. They were not found among 

 the debris after the fire at the Theatre Royal, which 

 at a later period occupied the Hawkins street site. 



In 1800, at an extraordinary meeting of the Society, 

 the Wide Street Commissioners were requested to 

 complete the purchase of all the ground and houses 

 on the east side of Hawkins street, and in Poolbeg 

 street, lately valued, as the Society proposed to become 

 tenants of these, together with the premises in their 

 possession held under the Bishop of Raphoe. It was 

 proposed to assign the leases to the Commissioners, 

 the Society taking one lease of the whole in perpetuity, 

 at a rent of ^391, js. 6d. The Society also requested 

 a valuation of ground on the south side of their 

 holdings at the rear of Townsend street. All this was 

 effected, and the Society had then at its command, 

 for carrying out its objects, extensive premises in a 

 very central part of the city, while still further accom- 

 modation was found in the Fleet Market (Hawkins 

 street), where in 1802 premises were purchased. From 



