Alexander Craig Sellar

Who was Alexander Craig Sellar?

Alexander Craig Sellar was a Scottish lawyer and Liberal politician.

Sellar was the son of Patrick Sellar of Westfield, Morayshire and his wife Ann Craig of Barmakelty, Moray. He was educated at Rugby School, and at Balliol College, Oxford where he was a favoured student of Benjamin Jowett. He became a Scottish advocate in 1862 and was legal secretary to the Lord Advocate for Scotland from 1870 to 1874. In 1873 he published Manual of the Education Act for Scotland. He was a J.P. and Deputy Lieutenant for Argyllshire.

In 1880 Sellar stood for parliament unsuccessfully at Plymouth Devonport. In 1882 he was elected Member of Parliament for Haddington Burghs until the constituency was merged in the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. In 1885 he was elected MP for Glasgow Partick which he held until his death at the age of 54 in 1890.

Sellar is commemorated with his scholar brother William Young Sellar on the south wall of Balliol College Chapel.

Sellar married Gertrude Smith. daughter of Octavius Henry Smith, in 1870.