Researching James Orr

Orr joined the Irish nationalist Society of United Irishmen in 1791 and took part in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The United Army of Ulster, of which he was a part, was defeated at the Battle of Antrim and after a time hiding from the authorities, he fled to America. He remained there for a short time, earning a living by working for a newspaper, but returned to Ballycarry in 1802 under an amnesty. He died in Ballycarry in 1816 at the age of 46.

An imposing monument to Orr, erected by local Freemasons in 1831, is sited in the Templecorran cemetery near Ballycarry, in memory of the great Mason and Ulster Weaver Poet. Orr had been a charter member of the Lodge.

The new Irish passport issued in 2013 has lines of poetry in Irish, English and Ulster Scots. The Ulster Scots lines are from Orr's poem Written in Winter and appear on page 28 of the document.

Orr umpired 23 first-class matches, all of them in Brisbane, between 1902 and 1932. He umpired one Test match in January 1931 between Australia and the West Indies at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground. Australia won by an innings with Don Bradman scoring 223, Bill Ponsford a century, and Clarrie Grimmett taking 9 wickets for the match. Orr's partner, Arthur Wyeth, was also standing in his only Test match.

Orr was on the staff of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Stock from 1883 until his retirement in 1935. He joined the Stock Office as a youth, became secretary of the Board of Stock Commissioners, chief clerk and registrar of brands, and later chief clerk of the Department of Agriculture and Stock. In later years he was registrar of primary co-operative associations. He died at his home in the Brisbane suburb of Toowong in December 1940, aged 72.

Orr was educated at Harrow School, and Gordonstoun School, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

He joined the British South Africa Police in 1939, and remained until 1946. From 1941 to 1949, he was attached to the Ethiopia and Eritrea occupied Enemy Territory Administration Police Forces. In 1954–1957, he was a member of the Kenya Police.

Orr joined the Household of the Duke of Edinburgh in 1957. He retired in May 1970. From 1970 he was an Extra Equerry to the Duke of Edinburgh, and he subsequently worked as Secretary of the Medical Commission on Accident Prevention.

He was unmarried.

Orr was made a MVO in 1962, and was promoted to CVO in 1968.

He was born in Liverpool, the son of the Reverend Dean Orr, and came to America with his family at the age of six. Orr was educated in the United States and Ontario. He served as Clerk of the Police Court and Clerk Assessor and Collector for New Westminster. He explored for a railway route on behalf of the Colony of British Columbia in 1865. Orr also served as deputy paymaster for the Canadian Pacific Railway and operated a fishery in the Haida Gwaii area. He was a member of the Legislative Council of British Columbia in 1863 and 1865. Orr was defeated when he ran for a seat in the assembly in 1878. He died in Victoria.