While in Ireland as chief secretary (1812–18) Sir Robert Peel became acquainted with William Shaw Mason, the Irish topographer and statistician who was remembrancer or receiver of the first-fruits or twentieth parts in Ireland and secretary to the commissioners for public records. Impressed with Mason's work and abilities, Peel encouraged him to prepare a major statistical survey of Ireland, along the lines of Sir John Sinclair's famous survey of Scotland; and the result was the three-volume work entitled A statistical account, or parochial survey of Ireland, drawn up from the communications of the clergy (the three volumes were published in 1814, 1816, and 1819 respectively), which is still a valuable record of the period. In 1819 Mason compiled a Survep, valuation, and census of the barony of Portnehinch in Queen's County. Published in 1821, this work was submitted to George IV during the royal visit to Ireland in that year ‘as a model for a statistical survey of the whole country’.