Peter McLagan was born in Demerara (now part of Guyana) in 1823, His mother was an enslaved woman living on a plantation owned by his father, also called Peter, He never met his mother and knew little about her.
In 1833 the UK Government's passed the Slavery Abolition Act – the Act which ended slavery in the British Colonies and provided a large compensation scheme for enslavers and not those who were enslaved. Peter's father received significant compensation and used the money to purchase estates in Scotland, bringing both Peter and his older brother John to Scotland to live with him.
He was educated in Tillicoultry and Peebles, before attending University of Edinburgh. He then became particularly interested in agriculture and farming. Following his father's death in 1860 he inherited his father's land holdings and estates. This wealth gave him the land holdings needed to stand for election as a Member of Parliament which he did in 1865, becoming the MP for Linlithgow.
On being elected, Peter McLagan became Scotland's first Black Member of Parliament. His election while no doubt a product of his own hard work and campaigning, was only possible in part due to the significant inheritance he received from his father who made a fortune from slavery.
He served as a Member of Parliament for 28 years. In that time, he campaigned on issues of agriculture and called for an increase in the Members of Parliament representing Scotland. He supported the right of women to vote and was an ally of the suffragette movement. He was, however, also a firm supporter of colonialism and supported the use of force throughout the British Empire to maintain power.
Peter McLagan was popular locally, but had to resign as a Member of Parliament after 28 years due to declaring bankruptcy. He passed away at age 77. Little is known about the final years of his life, with him seemingly keeping a low profile.
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