Colonel Sir Alexander Sprot of Garnkirk, Baronet, CMG., MP

COLONEL SIR ALEXANDER SPROT OF GARNKIRK, BARONET, CMG., MP

British Soldier and Politician

Colonel Sir Alexander Sprot, Baronet, CMG., MP., is the son of Alexander Sprot of Garnkirk and Rachael Jane Cleghorn. He was born on 24 April 1853 and his baptism was registered at Cadder in Lanarkshire, Scotland Cadder Baptismal Records and at Edinburgh in Midlothisn there. Edinburgh Baptismal Records

The Garnkirk Estate

Colonel Sir Alexander Sprot,Baronet,succeeded his grandfather, Mark Sprot of Garnkirk in 1874 but sold off most of the family land in 1925 Monklands Memories

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 (British Army and Royal Marines) 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 (United Kingdom) . He later served in the South African 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). 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 1914–1918 (France) British War Medal and Victory Medal (United Kingdom) . He was appointed Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1917 New Year Honours . Wikipedia: Alexander Sprot

Political career

He unsuccessfully contested Montrose Burghs (UK Parliament constituency) in 1906. In the two elections in 1910 he stood in East Fife (UK Parliament constituency) against the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom H. H. Asquith In 1918, Asquith was not opposed by a Coalition Government 1916–1922 candidate, but the local Conservative Association decided put up a candidate against him. Sprot, despite being refused the "Coalition Coupon - the official endorsement given by David Lloyd George and 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 (UK Parliament constituency) from 1924 until 1929. Wikipedia: Alexander Sprot

Personal life

In 1879 he married Ethel Florence Thorp, daughter of Deputy Surgeon-General Edward C. Thorp, MD. He was also a Master of the Fox Hounds with the Fife Hounds. He was created a baronet in 1918 .Wikipedia: Alexander Sprot

Biographical and Genealogical Accounts

1. Darryl Lundy's Peerage
2. Wikipedia: Alexander Sprot