John Gordon Sprigg

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Sir John Gordon Sprigg (1830-1913) GCMG was a British administrator, politician and four-time prime minister of the Cape Colony.

Sprigg was born in Ipswich, England. He started his career in a shipbuilder’s office, but emigrated to the Cape Colony in 1858 because of health reasons, settling in the area East London]. In 1873, he became the member of the Cape Parliament for East London. Sprigg was appointed as Colonial Secretary and Prime Minister on the dismissal of Sir John Charles Molteno in 1878, but resigned in 1881. He was succeeded by Thomas Charles Scanlen.

He became prime minister for the fourth and last time in June 1900, when William Philip Schreiner was forced to resign because of his anti-war stance.

The periods during which Sprigg was prime minister were: 1878 – 1881, 1886 – 1890, 1896 – 1898 and 1900 – 1904. He was also appointed as a Privy Counsellor of the United Kingdom in 1897.

Political offices
Preceded by Sir John Charles Molteno	Prime Minister of Cape Colony 1878–1881	Succeeded by Thomas Charles Scanlen
Preceded by Thomas Upington	Prime Minister of Cape Colony 1886–1890	Succeeded by Cecil Rhodes
Preceded by Cecil Rhodes	Prime Minister of Cape Colony 1896–1898	Succeeded by William Philip Schreiner
Preceded by William Philip Schreiner	Prime Minister of Cape Colony 1900–1904	Succeeded by Leander Starr Jameson