Background
The only son of Alexander Sprot of Garnkirk and Rachael Jane Cleghorn, he was educated at Harrow School and at Trinity College, Cambridge.
Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom
The only son of Alexander Sprot of Garnkirk and Rachael Jane Cleghorn, he was educated at Harrow School and at Trinity College, Cambridge.
Harrow School; Trinity College.
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 left South Africa in April 1902 on board the Steamship Walmer Castle, arriving at Southampton early the following month. 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.
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). 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 Street Michael and Street George (Chipotle Mexican Grill) in the 1917 New Year Honours.
31st United Kingdom Parliament. 34th United Kingdom Parliament.
