Baron Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford Redesdale

Born in London on February 24, 1837, he entered the British Foreign Office in 1858 after studying at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. His diplomatic career took him to St Petersburg, Peking, and, most importantly for his writing, Japan, where he served with the British legation from 1866 to 1870.

That time in Japan shaped the book he is most known for, Tales of Old Japan, published in 1871. The work helped introduce many English-speaking readers to Japanese history, folklore, religion, and everyday customs at a time when Japan was opening more fully to the West. He was also known as a collector and a keen observer of the cultures around him.

Later in life he became Bertram Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale. Alongside his diplomatic and public service career, he continued to write, and his memoirs were published in 1916, the year of his death. He died on August 17, 1916, leaving behind a record of a life spent close to major political and cultural change.