Alexander Sprot

Colonel Sir Alexander Sprot, 1st Baronet CMG DL (24 April 1853 – 8 February 1929) was a British soldier and politician.

The only son of Alexander Sprot of Garnkirk and Rachael Jane Cleghorn, he was educated at Harrow School and at Trinity College, Cambridge.^[1]

Military career

Sprot was commissioned into the Royal Lanarkshire Militia, where he reached the rank of Lieutenant. In 1874 he was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant in the 6th Dragoon Guards. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1876, Captain in 1882, Major in 1889, Lieutenant-Colonel in 1900, and Colonel in 1904. He served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War 1879–1880 (awarded the Afghanistan Medal). He later served in the Second Boer War (for which he was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with 6 clasps, the King’s South Africa Medal with 2 clasps, and was mentioned in despatches twice, including 31 March 1900^[2]). He left South Africa in April 1902 on board the SS Walmer Castle,^[3] arriving at Southampton early the following month. He retired in 1909, but later served in World War I as an Administrative Commandant from 1915 (being mentioned in despatches twice and awarded the Mons Star, Croix de Guerre, British War Medal and Victory Medal). He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1917 New Year Honours.

Political career

He unsuccessfully contested Montrose Burghs in 1906. In the two elections in 1910 he stood in East Fife against the Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith. In 1918, Asquith was not opposed by a Coalition candidate, but the local Conservative Association decided put up a candidate against him. Sprot, despite being refused the "Coupon" – the official endorsement given by David Lloyd George and Andrew Bonar Law to Coalition candidates – defeated Asquith. Sprot sat for that constituency until he was defeated in 1922, and again in 1923. He then sat for North Lanarkshire from 1924 until 1929.

Personal life

In 1879 he married Ethel Florence Thorp, daughter of Deputy Surgeon-General Edward C. Thorp, MD. He was also Master of the Fox Hounds with the Fife Hounds.

He was created a baronet in 1918.

References

• Leigh Rayment's list of baronets
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

1. "Sprot, Alexander (SPRT871A)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
2. The London Gazette: no. 27282. p. 846. 8 February 1901.
3. "The War - officers returning home". The Times (36746). London. 19 April 1902. p. 12.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Sir Alexander Sprot