author
Francis Taylor Piggott
1852–1925
A British jurist and writer who moved between law, diplomacy, and scholarship, he is best remembered for his work in Japan and for serving as Chief Justice of Hong Kong. His books reflect a wide range of interests, from international law to Japanese music and culture.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in London on 25 April 1852, Francis Taylor Piggott was educated in Paris, at Worthing College, and at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was called to the bar in the 1870s and built a career that combined legal practice with public service and writing.
Piggott spent several important years connected with Japan, serving as a legal adviser to the Japanese government in the late nineteenth century. That experience shaped much of his writing and helped make him an interpreter of Japanese law and culture for English-language readers. Alongside legal works, he also wrote on Japanese music and musical instruments, showing a curiosity that reached well beyond the courtroom.
He later became Chief Justice of Hong Kong, serving from 1905 to 1912. Remembered as both a jurist and an author, he left behind books that reflect the global range of his career and interests. He died on 12 March 1925.