Edward Pigot
Encyclopedia
Edward Francis Pigot was an Irish
-born Australia
n 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 (master of the Court of Exchequer) and Christina (née Murray), 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 (Xujiahui
) 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.
Pigot had visited the Jesuit observatory in Manila
and had plans to construct a world-class observatory at Riverview where he began meteorological observations 1 January 1908. A seismological station was also set up, Pigot ordering a set of Wiechert
seismometer
s. Riverview College Observatory opened as a seismological station in March 1909 and seismological observations continue to be made there.
Between 1910 and 1922, Pigot travelled to Bruny Island Tasmania, Tonga
and Goondiwindi, Queensland
to observe total solar eclipses; he also visited several observatories in Europe and North America. He made measurements of tides, deflection of the Earth's crust and undertook experiments with a Foucault pendulum. He observed a major earthquake on 1 September 1923 with a visiting Japanese seismologist, Fusakichi Omori
. This quake, 1923 Great Kantō earthquake
, destroyed Tokyo.
From 1925 to 1929, Pigot took solar radiation measurements at Riverview and Orange
for use in long-range weather forecasting. He contacted pneumonia
while searching for a high-elevation site at Mount Canobolas
. He died at North Sydney and was buried in Gore Hill cemetery.
Edgeworth David
said of him:
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-born Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Jesuit priest, seismologist and astronomer. He was president of the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
branch of the British Astronomical Association
British Astronomical Association
The British Astronomical Association is the senior national association of amateur astronomers in the UK.-Function:It encourages observational astronomy by non-professionals in areas which cannot be covered by professional observatories...
in 1923-24 and a council member of the Royal Society of New South Wales
Royal Society of New South Wales
The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. It was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June 1821...
from 1921 to 1929.
Pigot was born in Dundrum
Dundrum
Dundrum is the name of several places:in Ireland:*Dundrum, Dublin, a suburb of Dublin city.**Dundrum Town Centre, a shopping centre*Dundrum, County Tipperary** the Dundrum meteorite of 1865, which fell in Munster, Ireland...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the son of David Richard Pigot (master of the Court of Exchequer) and Christina (née Murray), 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
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
and graduated B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
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
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, as science master from August 1889. From 1892 he studied with French Jesuits on Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
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 (Xujiahui
Xujiahui
Xujiahui , also spelt Zikawei or Siccawei is an historical and cultural area in Xuhui District of Shanghai, China. The area is a well known precinct for shopping and entertainment in Shanghai....
) until 1903 when he spent a year back in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He spent three more years at Zi-Ka-Wei before coming to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
still in poor health.
Pigot had visited the Jesuit observatory in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
and had plans to construct a world-class observatory at Riverview where he began meteorological observations 1 January 1908. A seismological station was also set up, Pigot ordering a set of Wiechert
Emil Wiechert
Emil Johann Wiechert was a German geophysicist who presented the first verifiable model of a layered structure of the Earth.-Life:...
seismometer
Seismometer
Seismometers are instruments that measure motions of the ground, including those of seismic waves generated by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other seismic sources...
s. Riverview College Observatory opened as a seismological station in March 1909 and seismological observations continue to be made there.
Between 1910 and 1922, Pigot travelled to Bruny Island Tasmania, Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
and Goondiwindi, Queensland
Goondiwindi, Queensland
Goondiwindi is an Australian town of approximately 5,629 people. The town has an annual population growth of 1.4 percent. The name Goondiwindi derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "the resting place of the birds".-History:...
to observe total solar eclipses; he also visited several observatories in Europe and North America. He made measurements of tides, deflection of the Earth's crust and undertook experiments with a Foucault pendulum. He observed a major earthquake on 1 September 1923 with a visiting Japanese seismologist, Fusakichi Omori
Fusakichi Omori
was a pioneer Japanese seismologist, second chairman of seismology at the Imperial University of Tokyo and president of the Japanese Imperial Earthquake Investigation Committee.-Education:...
. This quake, 1923 Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kanto earthquake
The struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 11:58:44 am JST on September 1, 1923. Varied accounts hold that the duration of the earthquake was between 4 and 10 minutes...
, destroyed Tokyo.
From 1925 to 1929, Pigot took solar radiation measurements at Riverview and Orange
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
for use in long-range weather forecasting. He contacted pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
while searching for a high-elevation site at Mount Canobolas
Mount Canobolas
Mount Canobolas, at an altitude of above sea level, is the highest mountain in the central tablelands district of New South Wales, Australia.The mountain is of volcanic origin...
. He died at North Sydney and was buried in Gore Hill cemetery.
Edgeworth David
Edgeworth David
Sir Tannatt William Edgeworth David KBE, DSO, FRS, was a Welsh Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer. A household name in his lifetime, David's most significant achievements were discovering the major Hunter Valley coalfield in New South Wales and leading the first expedition to reach the...
said of him: