Montague Horatio Mostyn Turtle Pigott (9 August 1865 – 26 August 1927) was an English barrister and writer of humorous plays and poems. He was a founding editor of ''

The Isis "The Isis" ( ) is an alternative name for the River Thames, used from its source in the Cotswolds until it is joined by the River Thame at Dorchester-on-Thames, Dorchester in Oxfordshire. Notably, the Isis flows through Oxford and has given i ...

''. He also wrote under the pen name "''Medium Tem Plum''" and "''Testudo''" and was popular at the Savage and Beefsteak Clubs.

Life and work

Pigott was born in London the son of Rebecca and Robert Temple Pigott. He was educated at

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

before going to

University College, Oxford University College, formally The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University commonly called University College in the University of Oxford and colloquially referred to as "Univ", is a Colleges of the University of Oxf ...

. He was called to the Bar at the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

in 1890. He worked as a Barrister-at-Law and was active in literary circles. At Oxford he founded ''The Isis'' which he edited in 1892. It was meant to be a light-hearted commentary on university life and he stated that ''"We shall endeavour to be humorous without being ill-humoured, critical without being captious, militant without being malevolent, independent without being impertinent, and funny."'' He was associated with the Royal Temple Yacht, Beefsteak, Sphinx and Savage Clubs and was known for his after-dinner speeches. Pigott wrote a range of verse, ditties, and some plays. One of his pieces in rhyme form was called ''the hundred best books''. Pigott died from chest trouble at a Denham House Nursing Home in Ramsgate.

References

External links

Common-room carols and other verses and parodies chiefly relating to Oxford
(1893)
The beauties of home rule
(1901) {{DEFAULTSORT:Pigott, Mostyn 1865 births 1927 deaths English humorists