2 32 A HISTORY OF 



Bench, being promoted to the Chief Justiceship eleven 

 years later. He was created Baron Downes in 1822, and 

 died in 1826. There is a very fine portrait of Lord 

 Downes by Hugh D. Hamilton ; and one painted in his 

 robes as Chief Justice, by Martin Cregan, has been engraved 

 and published. 



4. The Rev. Charles R. Elrington, regius professor of 

 Divinity in the University of Dublin, was born in Dublin 

 in 1787, and was a son of Thomas Elrington, bishop of 

 Ferns. He was successively rector of St. Mark's, Dublin, 

 chancellor of Ferns, and rector of Armagh. Elrington 

 effected great improvements in the Divinity School, managed 

 the Church Education Society, and helped the Board of 

 National Education. In 1847 ne commenced his edition 

 of the collected works of Archbishop Ussher in seventeen 

 volumes ; the two last, which he did not live to finish, were 

 completed by Dr. Reeves, afterwards Bishop of Down. 

 Dr. Elrington printed many theological works and pam- 

 phlets on education. 



5. Sir William Betham, born at Stradbrooke in Suffolk 

 in 1779, came to Dublin in 1805, and, having been for 

 a time Deputy Ulster and Deputy Keeper of Records in the 

 Record Tower, Dublin Castle, he became Ulster King of 

 Arms in 1820. Betham compiled a number of indexes and 

 repertories, and, in 1830, appeared his Dignities, Feudal and 

 Parliamentary, and in 1834, Origin and History of the Con- 

 stitution of England, and of the Early Parliaments of Ireland. 

 He was secretary of the Royal Irish Academy, and that 

 body purchased a large collection of Irish manuscripts 

 which he had acquired. 



6. James Gandon, architect, was born in London in 

 1743, his grandfather having been a Huguenot refugee. 

 Gandon came to Dublin in 1781 to superintend the con- 

 struction of new docks, and he planned the Custom House, 

 which was finished in 1/91. He designed the east portico 

 and circular screen wall of the Parliament House, as well as 

 the west screen and the portico in Foster place. His works 

 also included the Four Courts, and the King's Inns build- 



