Richard Piggott
Encyclopedia
Richard Pigott was an Irish
journalist
, best known for selling the Pigott forgeries.
, County Meath
. As a young man he supported Irish nationalism
and worked on the Nation
and the Tablet
before acting as manager of The Irishman, a newspaper founded by Denis Holland. James O'Connor later claimed Pigott embezzled funds from the paper (Holland, who had no business sense, left its affairs to Pigott) and covered his tracks by not keeping written records. Pigott also worked for the Land League, departing in 1883 after accusing its treasurer, Mr Fagan, of being unable to account for £100,000 of its funds, and for keeping inadequate records. Nothing was done about his accusation, which was publicised in the newspapers, and he turned against the League, which was allied to several Irish nationalist groups including the Irish Parliamentary Party
led by Charles Stewart Parnell
.
, of which Charles Stewart Parnell
was president. Hitherto a violent Nationalist, from 1884 Pigott began to vilify his former associates and to sell information to their political opponents. In an effort to destroy Parnell's career, Pigott produced fake letters, which purported that Parnell had supported one of the Phoenix Park murders
.
The Times
bought Pigott's forgeries for £1,780 and published the most damning letter on 18 April 1887. Parnell immediately denounced it as "a villainous and barefaced forgery". In February 1889, the Parnell Commission
vindicated him by proving that the letters were forgeries. They included misspellings (specifically 'hesitancy') which Pigott had written elsewhere. A libel action instituted by Parnell also vindicated him, and his parliamentary career survived the Pigott accusations.
The Commission eventually produced 37 volumes in evidence, covering not just the forgeries but also the surrounding violence that followed from the Plan of Campaign
.
After admitting his forgeries to Henry Labouchère, Pigott fled to Spain
, and shot himself in a Madrid
hotel room. Parnell then sued The Times for libel, and the newspaper paid him £5000 in an out-of-court settlement, as well as considerably more in legal fees. When Parnell next entered the House of Commons
, he received a standing ovation
from his fellow Members of Parliament
.
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...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, best known for selling the Pigott forgeries.
Journalist
Pigott was born in RatoathRatoath
Ratoath is a town in the barony of the same name, County Meath in Ireland. The town is centered on the point where the R125 and R155 regional roads meet. In the 1996 census, the population was recorded as 1,061. In the 2006 census, it was 7,249...
, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
. As a young man he supported Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
and worked on the Nation
The Nation (Irish newspaper)
The Nation was an Irish nationalist weekly newspaper, published in the 19th century. The Nation was printed first at 12 Trinity Street, Dublin, on 15 October 1842, until 6 January 1844...
and the Tablet
The Tablet
The Tablet is a Catholic international weekly review published in London. Contributors to its pages have included Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Paul VI ....
before acting as manager of The Irishman, a newspaper founded by Denis Holland. James O'Connor later claimed Pigott embezzled funds from the paper (Holland, who had no business sense, left its affairs to Pigott) and covered his tracks by not keeping written records. Pigott also worked for the Land League, departing in 1883 after accusing its treasurer, Mr Fagan, of being unable to account for £100,000 of its funds, and for keeping inadequate records. Nothing was done about his accusation, which was publicised in the newspapers, and he turned against the League, which was allied to several Irish nationalist groups including the Irish Parliamentary Party
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
led by Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
.
The forgeries
In 1879 Pigott was proprietor of three newspapers, which he soon sold to the Irish Land LeagueIrish National Land League
The Irish Land League was an Irish political organization of the late 19th century which sought to help poor tenant farmers. Its primary aim was to abolish landlordism in Ireland and enable tenant farmers to own the land they worked on...
, of which Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
was president. Hitherto a violent Nationalist, from 1884 Pigott began to vilify his former associates and to sell information to their political opponents. In an effort to destroy Parnell's career, Pigott produced fake letters, which purported that Parnell had supported one of the Phoenix Park murders
Phoenix Park Murders
The Phoenix Park Murders were the fatal stabbings on 6 May 1882 in the Phoenix Park in Dublin of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Thomas Henry Burke. Cavendish was the newly appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, and Burke was the Permanent Undersecretary, the most senior Irish civil servant...
.
The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
bought Pigott's forgeries for £1,780 and published the most damning letter on 18 April 1887. Parnell immediately denounced it as "a villainous and barefaced forgery". In February 1889, the Parnell Commission
Parnell Commission
The Parnell Commission was a judicial inquiry in the late 1880s into allegations of crimes by Irish parliamentarian Charles Stewart Parnell which resulted in his vindication.-Background:...
vindicated him by proving that the letters were forgeries. They included misspellings (specifically 'hesitancy') which Pigott had written elsewhere. A libel action instituted by Parnell also vindicated him, and his parliamentary career survived the Pigott accusations.
The Commission eventually produced 37 volumes in evidence, covering not just the forgeries but also the surrounding violence that followed from the Plan of Campaign
Plan of Campaign
The Plan of Campaign was a stratagem adopted in Ireland between 1886 and 1891, co-ordinated by Irish politicians for the benefit of tenant farmers, against mainly absentee and rack-rent landlords. It was launched to counter agricultural distress caused by the continual depression in prices of dairy...
.
After admitting his forgeries to Henry Labouchère, Pigott fled to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and shot himself in a Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
hotel room. Parnell then sued The Times for libel, and the newspaper paid him £5000 in an out-of-court settlement, as well as considerably more in legal fees. When Parnell next entered the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, he received a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
from his fellow Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.