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Auction: 25003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 316

The mounted C.M.G. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel B. M. Robinson, Cape Mounted Police, who commanded the Cape Police during the Jameson Raid and was Commandant of Kimberly during the Boer Siege

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion's Badge, gold and enamel, with integral gold riband buckle; South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1877-8; Cape of Good Hope General Service 1880-97, 2 clasps, Transkei, Bechuanaland; South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Def. of Kimberley; South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; British War Medal 1914-20; Kimberley Star 1899-1900, the reverse hallmarked for Birmingham 1901, mounted as worn, good very fine (7)

C.M.G. London Gazette 27 September 1901.

MID London Gazette 10 September 1901.

Bawtree Macleod Robinson was born at Grahamstown, South Africa in 1858, the son of Ensign Edward Arthur Robinson, 5th Regiment, King's German Legion. Educated at Felsted School, North Essex he was very likely there at the same time as Lieutenant Walter Hamilton V.C. who was just two years older than him.

When the Gaika and Galeka War began in 1877 Robinson joined the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers, earning one of 28 clasps. The conflict ended in 1878 with the death of Sandile, the Gaika chief, Robinson clearly took to the Military life however as he was soon to return to it.

The outbreak of the Transkei Rebellion in 1880 saw him joining Captain Nesbitt's Light Horse, earning on of 102 Transkei clasps to the unit. He was elevated to command a commander Force of Cape Police and Volunteers at Phokwani during the Bechuanaland Rebellion between 1896-7, likely earning one of 131 clasps to the former unit. Appointed Commissioner of the Cape Police District, No. 2, he was still in role when the Jameson Raid occurred, and Robinson was called to give evidence to the select committee on the matter.

Remaining with the Cape Police Robinson was serving as Town Commandant of Kimberley during the Boer War. As such he was serving there during the Defence of Kimberly, seeing heavy fighting during the siege and earning three 'mentions' as a result. There are 488 Defence of Kimberly clasps awarded to the Cape Mounted Police.

After the war he was appointed Commissioner of the Cape Mounted Police in 1904 he wrote Notes on Criminal Procedure and Police Duty the next year. Retiring from Service 1909 he emigrated to Britain and was living on the Isle of Wight in 1911. The outbreak of the Great War saw Robinson commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel with the East Anglian Divisional Train in 1915, a role he held until 1917 although he was never deployed to France. He was living at Pound Hall, Long Melford, Suffolk in 1921; sold together with copied research and a modern copy of Notes on Criminal Procedure and Police Duty.


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Estimate
£280 to £320

Starting price
£220