Edward Pigot

Who was Edward Pigot?

Edward Francis Pigot was an Irish-born Australian Jesuit priest, seismologist and astronomer. He was president of the New South Wales branch of the British Astronomical Association in 1923-24 and a council member of the Royal Society of New South Wales from 1921 to 1929.

Pigot was born in Dundrum, Ireland, the son of David Richard Pigot and Christina, daughter of Sir James Murray a well-known doctor. Edward was initially educated by tutors at home and a governess. Pigot entered Trinity College, Dublin and graduated B.A. in 1879 and Bachelor of Surgery in 1882.

Pigot taught at University College, Dublin but emigrated to Australia in 1888 due to poor health. He then taught at St Francis Xavier's College, Melbourne, then at Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney, as science master from August 1889. From 1892 he studied with French Jesuits on Jersey and then theology at Milltown Park in Dublin and was ordained a priest on 31 July 1898. He volunteered for the China Mission in 1899, and was located at the Zi-Ka-Wei Observatory until 1903 when he spent a year back in Australia. He spent three more years at Zi-Ka-Wei before coming to Sydney still in poor health.