| Orpen | R | | Major | The fourth son of Francis H S Orpen, Surveyor General of Griqualand West and first member, with Rt Hon C J Rhodes, for Barkly West, in the Cape House of Assembly, and was born at Grahamstown, Cape Colony, on May 22, 1864. He was educated at the Barkly West High School and at St Andrew's College, Bloemfontein, farming at St Clair, near Douglas, Division of Herbert, Griqualand West, from 1884. Always interested in politics, and a strong opponent of the Afrikander Bond, he took an active part in the formation of the South African League in May, 1896. On the outbreak of the Boer War he joined Orpen's Horse, 350 strong (raised by his brother, Major Frank Orpen), as Captain and second in command, subsequently commanding the corps, with the rank of Major (upon his brother's retirement through ill health), from June, 1900, to November, 1901 (mentioned in dispatches, CMG, medal and clasp). Subsequently, after being on special service for three months, he commanded the Border Scouts, 800 strong, until the end of the war (KSA and clasps). At the general election in 1904 he was elected member for Prieska in the Cape House of Assembly, after having been defeated by eleven votes at the by-election in the previous year. In June, 1905, he took over the duties of General Secretary of the Soufh African Imperial Union, and Chief Organising Agent of the Progressive Party in the Cape Colony. He married, May 7, 1906, Dora. Agnes, daughter of Abraham Difford, of the Cape Government Railways. He died in 1940.
CMG, QSA (1) CC, KSA (2). Miniatures only DNW Sep 02 unsold.
Source: List of CMG recipients. Various sources | Orpen's Light Horse |
