replaced by wooden buildings. The problems with the design could no longer be ignored. The building continued to deteriorate with the tower demolished in 1945 and the remaining structure in 1957. In 1888 an enquiry into the collapse was set up. In February, realising that he may be in legal trouble, Lawson applied to the enquiry to be allowed counsel to defend him. During the enquiry all involved in the construction – including the contractor, the head of the Public Works Department, the project’s clerk of works and Lawson himself – were forced to give evidence to support their competence. The Commissioners apportioned blame to Lawson for constructional defects and not insisting on proper drainage works being carried out, but also placed blame on the Public Works Department for not paying attention to repeated applications from the architect to deal with drainage problems and warnings from Dr James Hector, the Director of Geological Survey. There later became a popular misconception that the Commission of Inquiry had found Lawson to be "negligent and incompetent" despite these words not appearing in its report. The words are however first known to have appeared in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Before the Seacliff Commission of Inquiry, Lawson had relocated to Wellington on 26 May 1887 to serve as locum tenens for Wellington architect William Turnbull while he went overseas on a trip from February 1887 to December 1887. The relationship known as Turnbull and Lawson, with Lawson, making periodic visits to Dunedin before permanently returning within 12 months. Major projects undertaken by Lawson during the late 1880s were the Lawrence Presbyterian Church (1886), Tokomairiro Presbyterian Church (1888) and a grain and woolstore for Reid, Mclean & Co (1889). Problems at First Church Despite the problems at Seacliff, from the reports in various newspapers many Dunedin people disagreed with the commission’s finding and Lawson’s reputation among his fellow citizens was intact, though diminished. By 1889 it was apparent that there were issues with dampness on the walls of First Church despite it being only 16 years old. As a result the Deacon’s Court passed over Lawson who was out of flavour with the session and commissioned Christchurch architect Thomas Stoddart Lambert who had an association with Lawson to investigate. Lambert found that the pointing of the stonework was inadequate in places which had allowed water to enter. Also water was able to enter the