126 A HISTORY OF 



The committee included Kirk (i), Mossop (2), 

 and George Petrie. 



1. Thomas Kirk was born at Newry in 1777. He 

 early settled in Dublin, and worked chiefly on busts and 

 relief on mantelpieces. Kirk executed the colossal statue of 

 Nelson for the column in Sackville street, and a statue of 

 King George the Fourth for the Linen Hall, which now 

 stands on the staircase landing in Leinster House. Many 

 of his busts adorn the College of Surgeons, Leinster House, 

 and the library of Trinity College. 



2. William Mossop, whose real name was Browne, 

 assumed that of his mother's second husband. He was 

 born in 1751, dying in Jan. 1805. Mossop acquired a great 

 reputation as a medallist, and engraved some of the finest 

 medals and coins of the pre-Union period. A list of his 

 works (which includes a medal of the Dublin Society, 1800), 

 will be found in Gilbert's History of Dublin, vol. ii., 

 appendix vii. His son, William Stephen Mossop, also 

 achieved distinction in this art, and a list of his medals will 

 be found in appendix viii. of the same volume. 



In the year 1 8 1 8 Bartholomew Watkins * took first 

 premium in the landscape school. 



During the years 1813-1819 (inclusive), it was 

 found that 314 boys had received instruction in the 

 figure school, which, founded in 1759, had then existed 

 for sixty years. It was a means of improvement for 

 engravers in wood and copper, for herald painters, en- 

 gravers in cameo and intaglio, die sinkers, and sculptors. 



Five hundred and five pupils were admitted to the 

 school of ornament during the same period of seven 

 years ; and the course of instruction pursued in it was 

 of incalculable benefit to sculptors in stone, wood, 

 metal, to glass workers, chasers, silversmiths, calico 

 printers, pattern-drawers, paper-stainers, embroiderers, 



1 Uncle of B. Colles Watkins, the artist. Starting as an artist, 

 Bartholomew Watkins became later a picture cleaner and dealer. 



