Sir Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford (1837-1916) was raised to the peerage as Baron of Redesdale in 1902. He was also a Knight of the Bath and a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. After joining the Foreign Service in 1858, Lord Redesdale was posted in St. Petersburg, Peking, and Tokyo. It was during his service in Japan, in 1871, that he wrote Tales of Old Japan. The book introduced a whole new audience to Japanese culture and folklore, and is considered a milestone in East-West understanding.