Arthur Orton - Tichborne Claimant

Tichborne Claimant

In August 1865 advertisements appeared in Australian newspaper) asking for information about the fate of Roger Charles Tichborne (born 1829), who had been on a vessel Bella which disappeared at sea off South America in 1854. This advertisement had been inserted by Lady Tichborne, the missing man's mother, who believed her son was still alive. Roger Tichborne had, however, been presumed dead by the courts and his younger brother had thus succeeded to the Tichborne baronetcy and the family's estates.

In 1866, through his solicitor William Gibbes, a butcher in Wagga Wagga known as "Thomas Castro" came forward, claiming to be the missing Sir Roger. He appeared to have some knowledge of the missing man's background and family history, although many of his assertions were inaccurate or false. However, at Gibbes's prompting he wrote to Lady Tichborne and was invited to come to England to be recognised. It is the contention of most historians that the Claimant was Arthur Orton, whose travels had at some time crossed the path of Roger Tichborne whose identity the former had then adopted.