1015 Peter Esslemont

Constituency : East  Aberdeenshire  1885-92

Peter  took  over  from  Alexander  Hamilton-Gordon,  easily  defeating  a  Conservative  challenge.

Peter  was  a  local  farmer's  son. He  was  educated  at  Belhevie  Public  School. He  was  head  of    of  a  warehousing  firm  and  director  of  the  Scottish  Employer's  Liability  Company. He  helped  found  the  Liberal  Association  in  1877. He  was  President  of  the  local  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Lord  Provost  of  Aberdeen  from  1880  to  1883. He  was  a  United  Presbyterian  and  advanced  Liberal.

Though  not  allied  to  the  Crofters's  Party, Peter  expressed  support  for  their  cause  in  his  maiden  speech.

Shortly  after  being  re-elected  in  1892  he  resigned  the  seat  to  become  Chairman  of  the  Fisheries  Board  for  Scotland.

He  died  in  1894 aged  60.