Richard Piggott

Richard Piggott (1838? - Madrid, 1889) was a journalist for "The Times", well known for the 'Piggott forgeries'.

Piggott produced fake letters, which purported to indicate that Charles Stewart Parnell supported the Phoenix Park murders. This move was designed to destroy Parnell's career. In 1879 Piggott was proprietor of three newspapers, which he soon sold to the Irish Land League, of which Parnell was president. Hitherto a violent Nationalist, Piggott now began to vilify his former associates and to sell information to their political opponents. His famous transaction was with the Irish Loyal and Patriotic Association, founded in 1886, to resist home rule for Ireland. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_International_Encyclopedia]

The situation was stirred up by Arthur Balfour who, at this time, was Chief Secretary for Ireland. However, in February 1889, a Commission of Enquiry, set up in the expectation that it would find against Parnell, vindicated him by proving that the letters were a forgery. They even included misspellings (specifically 'hesitancy') which Piggott had perpetrated elsewhere. A libel action that was instituted by Parnell also vindicated him, and his parliamentary career survived the Piggott accusations.

After this happened Piggott fled to Spain, and he shot himself in a Madrid hotel room. Parnell then took "The Times" to court for libel and the newspaper paid him £5000 in an out of court settlement. When Parnell next entered the House of Commons, he received a standing ovation from his fellow Members of Parliament.

Publications

* James O'Connor, "Recollections of Richard Piggott" (London, 1889)