Background
Eliot was born in the village of Sibford Gower near Banbury, Oxfordshire, England.
Eliot was born in the village of Sibford Gower near Banbury, Oxfordshire, England.
He graduated from Oxford University in 1864.
After graduating from Oxford University he entered the diplomatic service and served in Russia, Turkey, America, etc, was Governor-General of English Samoa (1899), resident-general of British East Africa and concomitantly Consul-General of Zanzibar, till he resigned from the diplomatic service (1904) to become vice-chancellor of Sheffield University and then vice-chancellor of Hong Kong University (1912). After the outbreak of World War I was high commissioner in Siberia (1918) and the following year was appointed British Ambassador to Japan (1919). In this post he did much to improve Anglo-Japanese relations and began studying Buddhism and Japanese art. Was recalled home but soon returned to resume his studies and settled down in Nara, where he have been writing books on the Far East. Due to ill health he perforce had to make preparation to leave Japan and died on board ship while enroute home (1931).