Sir Alexander Sprot, 1st Baronet, (24 April 1853 – 8 February 1929) was a British soldier and Scottish Unionist Party politician. He served in the

Second Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...

, the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

and

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. During his political career, he represented the constituencies of East Fife and

North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire ( sco, North Lanrikshire; gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Tuath) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It als ...

Early life

The only son of Alexander Sprot (1823-1854) of Garnkirk, Lanarkshire, of a family formerly of Edinburgh that owned a brick-making works, and Rachael Jane (daughter of Peter Cleghorn, of Stravithie), he was educated at Harrow School and at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

Military career

Sprot was commissioned into the Royal Lanarkshire Militia, where he reached the rank of

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

. 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 Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...

in 1900, and

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

in 1904. He served in the

1879–1880 (awarded the Afghanistan Medal). He later served in the

(for which he was awarded the

Queen's South Africa Medal The Queen's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British and Colonial military personnel, and to civilians employed in an official capacity, who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Altogether twenty-six clasps wer ...

with 6 clasps, the

King's South Africa Medal The King's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to all British and Colonial military personnel who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa, and who were in the theatre on or after 1 January 1902 and who had completed 18 m ...

with 2 clasps, and was mentioned in despatches twice, including 31 March 1900). He left

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

in April 1902 on board the , arriving at

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

early the following month. He retired in 1909, but later served in

as an Administrative Commandant from 1915 (being mentioned in despatches twice and awarded the

Mons Star The 1914 Star, colloquially known as the Mons Star, is a British World War I campaign medal for service in France or Belgium between 5 August and 22 November 1914. Institution The 1914 Star was authorised under Special Army Order no. 350 in Nov ...

, Croix de Guerre,

British War Medal The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War. Two versions of the medal were produced. About 6.5 million were struck in si ...

and Victory Medal). He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the

1917 New Year Honours The 1917 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were published in several editions of ''The London Gazette'' in Ja ...

Political career

He unsuccessfully contested Montrose Burghs in 1906. In the two elections in 1910 he stood in East Fife against the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...

. In 1918, Asquith was not opposed by a Coalition candidate, but the local Conservative Association decided to field a candidate against him. Sprot, despite being refused the "

Coupon In marketing, a coupon is a ticket or document that can be redeemed for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by manufacturers of consumer packaged goods or by retailers, to be used in r ...

" – the official endorsement given by

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during ...

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

from 1924 until his death in 1929.

Personal life

In 1879 he married Ethel Florence Thorp, daughter of Deputy Surgeon-General Edward C. Thorp, MD. They had nine daughters, of which two died in infancy. Of the other seven all married military or naval men save Alix, who took holy orders in Palestine. *Rachel Sprot (1880-1882) *Ethel (Mice) Grace Sprot (1881-1967) married 1904, Colonel Hereward Sadler OBE DL JP. *Mabel Elizabeth Sprot (1883-1983), MBE, who married in 1904

Sir George Stirling, 9th Baronet Colonel Sir George Murray Home Stirling, 9th Baronet CBE DSO (4 September 1869 – 1 May 1949) was a Scottish British Army officer who was Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire from 1936 until 1949. Background Stirling was the son of Sir Charles St ...

*Alix Isabella Sprot (1884-1972), who became an Abbess in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia at

Bethany Bethany ( grc-gre, Βηθανία,Murphy-O'Connor, 2008, p152/ref> Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܢܝܐ ''Bēṯ ʿAnyā'') or what is locally known as Al-Eizariya or al-Azariya ( ar, العيزرية, " laceof Lazarus"), is a Palestinian town in the West B ...

in Palestine. *Constance Sprot (1886-1886) *Sarah Douglas Sprot (1887-1975) married 1913, Major William Edgar Mann (1885-1969), D.S.O., of the Royal Field Artillery, son of Sir Edward Mann, 1st

Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

. Their son, Major Edward Charles Mann (1918-1959), D.S.O., M.C.,

12th Royal Lancers The 12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army first formed in 1715. It saw service for three centuries, including the First World War and the Second World War. The regiment survived the immediate post-war ...

, of The Mill House, Dunsfold, Surrey, was father of Sir Rupert Edward Mann, 3rd Baronet.Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 2003, vol. 2, pp 2591-2593 *Rachel Septima Sprot (1890-1983) married 1920, Lieutenant Colonel John Reginald Noble Graham VC OBE. *Harriet Hill Sprot (1893-1976) married 1920, General Sir Thomas Sheridan Riddell-Webster GCB DSO. *Nancy Margaret Sprot (1895-1994) married 1935, Captain Chicele Keppel Bampton RN. Sir Alexander was also Master of the Fox Hounds with the Fife Hounds. He was created a baronet in 1918.

References

* *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sprot, Alexander 1853 births 1929 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Sprot, Sir Alexander, 1st Baronet Carabiniers (6th Dragoon Guards) officers Cameronians officers British Militia officers British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British Army personnel of World War I Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Unionist Party (Scotland) MPs Masters of foxhounds in Scotland Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies People educated at Harrow School Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) UK MPs 1918–1922 UK MPs 1924–1929 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Fife constituencies