Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The mounted group of four miniature dress medals worn by J. P. Orr, Esq., C.S.I., C.B.E., Indian Civil Service, together with an interesting archive of original documents and letters

The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, C.S.I., Companion’s badge, gold and enamel, with central onyx cameo of a youthful Queen Victoria; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E., 1st type badge, silver-gilt and enamel, on Military Division riband; Kaisar-I-Hind, V.R. 2nd class, silver; Delhi Durbar 1911, silver, mounted as worn on a Hunt & Roskell riband bar, nearly extremely fine (4) £500-£700

C.S.I. London Gazette 12 December 1911.

C.B.E. (Civil) London Gazette 8 January 1919.

James Peter Orr was born at Bangalore, India in 1867. 20 years earlier, his grandfather had established the watch and clockmaking firm P. Orr & Sons at Madras, where it rapidly expanded into a flourishing jewellers and luxury goods business with warrants from the Prince of Wales and several Indian rulers. Educated at Hurstpierpoint College, Orr’s academic ability was such that he achieved the rare feat of passing the entrance examination for the Indian Civil Service while still at school, before going on to take a first class degree at Caius College, Cambridge. He returned to India to take up his I.C.S. place in 1889 and would spend the next 30 years working in its administrative branch in the Bombay Presidency. Besides his duties as Collector, Magistrate and Political Agent, he also concentrated on forest demarcation, suburban development and famine relief; his work in the latter sphere saw him included in the first list of recipients of the new Kaisar-I-Hind Medal for Public Service, in May 1900. In 1909 he was appointed Chairman of the Bombay City Improvement Trust and spent the next ten years working towards development of the city, particularly in housing, slum reform and town planning. He also served as an additional member of the Council of the Governor of Bombay and during the Great War visited war hospitals and organised the work of tracing missing and wounded of the Mesopotamia campaign. He was recognised by appointment as a Companion of the Order of the Star of India on the occasion of the King-Emperor’s visit to India for the 1911 Delhi Durbar, and as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919 for his war work. After retirement to England that year he took up the position of Director of Housing of London County Council. He died at Canterbury, Kent, in 1949.

Sold with an archive of original personal correspondence and testimonials, including hand-written letters from three Governors of Bombay under whom Mr Orr served – Lord Northcote (afterwards Governor-General of Australia), Lord Sydenham and Lord Willingdon (later Viceroy of India); and a DVD of copied research.

For the recipient’s full-sized C.B.E. and Delhi Durbar Medal, see Lots 272 and 654; and for the Kaisar-I-Hind Medal awarded to his wife, Mrs Amy Orr, see Lot 275.