Her cousin, R. Harold A. Schofield, was already there, so in 1882 she and her sister, Florence made their way to the CIM medical mission in Shansi province.

She was involved in medical and evangelical work there, where she performed operations on cataracts despite her lack of qualifications.

[1] While she was in China she met Thomas Wellesley Pigott who was an CIM missionary from Kildare, Ireland and they were married in Peking on 16 July 1883.

During this time back in the UK she took the opportunity to learn more about eye operations and she gave birth to their only child, William Wellesley Pigott, on 4 August 1887.

The situation in China was becoming dangerous for foreigners and Pigott and her household finally left after the local authorities refused to guarantee their protection.