Arthur Orton
Encyclopedia
Arthur Orton was the celebrated Tichborne
claimant of the Victorian era
.
, London
, the son of George Orton, a butcher and purveyor of ships' stores.
He left school early and was employed in his father's shop. In 1849, he was apprenticed to a Captain Brooks of the ship Ocean. The ship sailed to South America
and in June 1849 Orton deserted and went to the small Chile
an country town of Melipilla
. He stayed in Chile for a year and seven months and befriended the Castro family. Orton then went back to London as an ordinary seaman.
In November 1852 he sailed for Tasmania
aboard the Middleton and arrived at Hobart
in May 1853. There, Orton worked for several butchers. Orton's letters to England at the time showed he was fond of dogs and children and affectionate towards his girlfriend in Wapping. There is some evidence he was a heavy drinker; and for minor trade malpractices, he appeared before magistrates. Orton crossed to the Australian mainland late in 1855 and worked for some time on cattle-stations in Gippsland
, Victoria.
From 1855 to the mid-1860s there is not a great amount of detail to be had about his life, but he appears to have pursued gold prospecting, mail-running and pastoral station hand-work, with a suggestion of bushranging and even murder. In 1864, he was living in the rural town of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
, under the name Thomas Castro, and working as a butcher's assistant.
As Thomas Castro, in January 1865, Orton married Mary Ann Bryant, an illiterate second-generation Australian.
In August 1865, an advertisement appeared world-wide (including Australian newspapers) asking for information about the fate of aristocratic Roger Charles Tichborne (born 1829), who had been on a vessel La Bella which disappeared at sea off South America in 1854. This advertisement had been inserted by the wealthy mother of the missing man, Lady Tichborne, who believed her son remained alive. Roger Tichborne had, however, been presumed dead by the courts and his younger brother had thus succeeded to the family's landed estates and the title, a baronet
cy, that went with them.
Orton consulted William Gibbes, a lawyer (solicitor) at Wagga and the descendant of a prominent West Indies sugar-planter family, about Lady Tichborne's appeal for help. He appears to have persuaded Gibbes that he was truly the missing Tichborne heir. Alternatively, Gibbes may have entertained some degree of scepticism but still encouraged Castro to answer the advertisement. (Gibbes was owed money by Orton and may have thought this was his best means of obtaining recompense). Either way, Orton decided to respond to the ad through a letter by Gibbes, although he did commit some bad biographical blunders when dictating details of his early life as a Tichborne. He was asked, nonetheless, by Lady Tichborne's representatives to come to England
when they read the letter from Gibbes. The Claimant duly left Sydney
on 22 September 1866.
It was arranged for the Claimant to meet Lady Tichborne in Paris, France. She was adamant at the meeting that she recognised Orton as her son, although other members of the Tichborne family disputed the claim. There appears to have been little physical resemblance between the two men and the Claimant did not speak in an educated fashion. Others became convinced, however, that Orton was indeed the genuine article, and he later obtained much financial support for the prosecution of his claim, which went ahead despite the death of Lady Tichborne in 1868. The ensuing courtroom proceedings proved to be protracted, and in March 1872 Orton was non-suit
ed in his civil action for the recovery of the estates. The presiding judge stated that in his opinion the plaintiff (Orton) had been guilty of perjury. Consequently, the plaintiff was arrested and, after a criminal trial lasting 188 days, found guilty on 28 February 1874. The jury also found that the defendant was not Roger Tichborne and that he was, in fact, Arthur Orton.
Orton was sentenced to 14-years' penal servitude and his weight rose to 27 stone (171 kg) But having behaved in jail as a model prisoner, he was freed in October 1884. He continued to press his claim but gradually lost his following, and in 1895 he purported to make a confession of his frauds which appeared in the People. Afterwards, he repudiated this confession and styled himself once again as Sir Roger Tichborne. He died on 1 April 1898.
The modern consensus is that the Claimant was an uneducated scoundrel, who seized on any information that he could gather about his supposed early life, and showed some ability in the employment of it for his own fraudulent ends. It is possible to understand how a grief-sticken and obsessive Lady Tichborne could have recognised him as her son, for it had become a fixed idea with her that Roger Tichborne was still alive; and although Orton had become enormously fat, he harboured the remains of what had once been good looks. More difficult to fathom, however, is the devotion displayed by Orton's last legal Counsel
, Dr Edward Kenealy, not to mention the large number of outsiders who provided him with ongoing financial backing and used their influence on his behalf.
Orton's cause continued to be upheld during the 20th century by his eldest daughter, one of four children borne him by his wife, who died as late as 1926.
Tichborne Case
The affair of the Tichborne claimant was the celebrated 19th-century legal case in the United Kingdom of Arthur Orton , an imposter who claimed to be Sir Roger Tichborne , the missing heir to the Tichborne Baronetcy....
claimant of the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
.
Biography
Orton was born at WappingWapping
Wapping is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. It is situated between the north bank of the River Thames and the ancient thoroughfare simply called The Highway...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of George Orton, a butcher and purveyor of ships' stores.
He left school early and was employed in his father's shop. In 1849, he was apprenticed to a Captain Brooks of the ship Ocean. The ship sailed to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and in June 1849 Orton deserted and went to the small Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an country town of Melipilla
Melipilla
Melipilla is a Chilean commune and capital city of the province of the same name, located in the Santiago Metropolitan Region southwest of the nation's capital...
. He stayed in Chile for a year and seven months and befriended the Castro family. Orton then went back to London as an ordinary seaman.
In November 1852 he sailed for Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
aboard the Middleton and arrived at Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
in May 1853. There, Orton worked for several butchers. Orton's letters to England at the time showed he was fond of dogs and children and affectionate towards his girlfriend in Wapping. There is some evidence he was a heavy drinker; and for minor trade malpractices, he appeared before magistrates. Orton crossed to the Australian mainland late in 1855 and worked for some time on cattle-stations in Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
, Victoria.
From 1855 to the mid-1860s there is not a great amount of detail to be had about his life, but he appears to have pursued gold prospecting, mail-running and pastoral station hand-work, with a suggestion of bushranging and even murder. In 1864, he was living in the rural town of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...
, under the name Thomas Castro, and working as a butcher's assistant.
As Thomas Castro, in January 1865, Orton married Mary Ann Bryant, an illiterate second-generation Australian.
In August 1865, an advertisement appeared world-wide (including Australian newspapers) asking for information about the fate of aristocratic Roger Charles Tichborne (born 1829), who had been on a vessel La Bella which disappeared at sea off South America in 1854. This advertisement had been inserted by the wealthy mother of the missing man, Lady Tichborne, who believed her son remained alive. Roger Tichborne had, however, been presumed dead by the courts and his younger brother had thus succeeded to the family's landed estates and the title, a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
cy, that went with them.
Orton consulted William Gibbes, a lawyer (solicitor) at Wagga and the descendant of a prominent West Indies sugar-planter family, about Lady Tichborne's appeal for help. He appears to have persuaded Gibbes that he was truly the missing Tichborne heir. Alternatively, Gibbes may have entertained some degree of scepticism but still encouraged Castro to answer the advertisement. (Gibbes was owed money by Orton and may have thought this was his best means of obtaining recompense). Either way, Orton decided to respond to the ad through a letter by Gibbes, although he did commit some bad biographical blunders when dictating details of his early life as a Tichborne. He was asked, nonetheless, by Lady Tichborne's representatives to come to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
when they read the letter from Gibbes. The Claimant duly left Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 22 September 1866.
It was arranged for the Claimant to meet Lady Tichborne in Paris, France. She was adamant at the meeting that she recognised Orton as her son, although other members of the Tichborne family disputed the claim. There appears to have been little physical resemblance between the two men and the Claimant did not speak in an educated fashion. Others became convinced, however, that Orton was indeed the genuine article, and he later obtained much financial support for the prosecution of his claim, which went ahead despite the death of Lady Tichborne in 1868. The ensuing courtroom proceedings proved to be protracted, and in March 1872 Orton was non-suit
Non-suit
-United States:In the United States, a voluntary nonsuit is a motion taken by the plaintiff to release one or more of the defendants from liability. So, for example, if a plaintiff wishes to give up on the lawsuit, he or she can file a nonsuit as to all defendants with the court, and all...
ed in his civil action for the recovery of the estates. The presiding judge stated that in his opinion the plaintiff (Orton) had been guilty of perjury. Consequently, the plaintiff was arrested and, after a criminal trial lasting 188 days, found guilty on 28 February 1874. The jury also found that the defendant was not Roger Tichborne and that he was, in fact, Arthur Orton.
Orton was sentenced to 14-years' penal servitude and his weight rose to 27 stone (171 kg) But having behaved in jail as a model prisoner, he was freed in October 1884. He continued to press his claim but gradually lost his following, and in 1895 he purported to make a confession of his frauds which appeared in the People. Afterwards, he repudiated this confession and styled himself once again as Sir Roger Tichborne. He died on 1 April 1898.
The modern consensus is that the Claimant was an uneducated scoundrel, who seized on any information that he could gather about his supposed early life, and showed some ability in the employment of it for his own fraudulent ends. It is possible to understand how a grief-sticken and obsessive Lady Tichborne could have recognised him as her son, for it had become a fixed idea with her that Roger Tichborne was still alive; and although Orton had become enormously fat, he harboured the remains of what had once been good looks. More difficult to fathom, however, is the devotion displayed by Orton's last legal Counsel
Barristers in England and Wales
Barristers in England and Wales are one of the two main categories of lawyer in England and Wales, the other being solicitors. -Origin of the profession:The work of senior legal professionals in England and Wales...
, Dr Edward Kenealy, not to mention the large number of outsiders who provided him with ongoing financial backing and used their influence on his behalf.
Orton's cause continued to be upheld during the 20th century by his eldest daughter, one of four children borne him by his wife, who died as late as 1926.
Further reading
- Rohan McWilliam: The Tichborne Claimant; A Victorian Sensation Hambledon Continuum, London 2007 ISBN 1-8528-5478-2
- Parry, His Honour Judge Edward Abbott, Vagabond's All (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1926), p. 1-21, "Chapter I: Arthur Orton, The Claimant."