The Wide Street Commissioners map above depicts former buildings on the site 152-55 Church Street, Dublin, Ireland now occupied by Kings Building (image of the site today here)
The area on the opposite side of May Lane on the map is now the Law Library annexe 145-151 Church Street (the numbering of Church Street seems to have changed slightly over the years).
The map must be from fairly early in the 19th century since for most of the 19th century 152-55 was largely occupied by the Jeffers family who ran a pub and hostelry (‘Jeffers’ Great Rooms’) there. Many of the successful businessmen in the vicinity of the Four Courts had sons who went into the law, and there are still Jeffers in the legal profession today, who may or may not be relatives.
Later, in the 20th century, after the Jeffers family had moved on, there was a pub called ‘The Advocate’ on the corner of this site next to May Lane. A newspaper advertisement for the sale of the Advocate in 1988, included the below photograph showing the pub and 153-5 Church Street as they were at this time (and possibly as they were in the 19th century). You can see the tower of St Michan’s Church peeping out at the side of the photograph.
The freeholder of this site was the Dean and Chapter of Christchurch, which originally owned the freehold of a lot of property in the area, including portion of King’s Inns Park.
Image Credit (zoomable image at link
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