Roger Charles Tichborne, born in 1829 to a wealthy family in England, went missing in 1854 , his ship declared lost at sea. Lady Tichborne kept searching for her son, placing ads in Australian newspapers asking for news of his whereabouts. In 1866 Thomas Castro, a Wagga butcher, responded to the ads claiming to be the missing heir. Lady Tichborne believed he could be her son, however after her death in 1868 the Tichborne family refused his claim to the estate. This set off one of the biggest trials in English history. Castro was eventually sentenced to 14 years imprisonment and the court identified him as Englishman Arthur Orton. The trial prompted countless newspaper articles, ballads, poems, paintings, and other ephemera.
The Wagga Wagga City Library Local Studies Collection has a complete set of hard-bound court transcripts, and a selection of books, letters and other documents related to the infamous Tichborne trial and surrounding scandal. The Tichborne primary source document collection can be viewed in the library upon request, or is available digitally on Flickr.
Tichborne Collection Flickr album
The Museum of the Riverina, in addition to a spectacular 1874 painting by Nathan Hughes titled 'The Tichborne Trial', hold a special collection of four figurines manufactured in France and sold in London at the time of the trial.
The following are just a few examples of the remarkable documents you can explore in the library's collection.
A letter of support for the Tichborne Claimant from Guildford Onslow (transcription below) and a Tobacco Advertisement.
Dear Sir,
I have much pleasure in forwarding to you a letter of my poor innocent friend Sir Roger Tichborne, the victim of jealousy, aristocracy, vindictive feelings, pride, Jesuit influence, corruption, bribery, fraud and false witnesses, unworthy of our country, and the age in which we live. The want of moral courage amongst his so-called friends also proved his ruin.
Yours truthfully
Guildford Onslow
An original letter signed by the Claimant (transcription available), dated 1873.
Baronet or Butcher? Sir Roger Tichborne, Tom Castro's Cabin in Wagga Wagga and The Claimant's Counsel, Dr. Kenealy.
