The Oliver Criminological Collection includes a substantial array of pamphlets, trial accounts, and popular ephemera from the sensational Tichborne Claimant case of the 1870s. Orton, a butcher in Wagga Wagga, Australia, claimed to be Sir Roger Tichborne, who had been presumed lost at sea in 1854. Although Lady Tichborne, some other family members, and associates—over one hundred individuals—accepted him and initially supported his claim, Orton lost an 1871 trial over the Tichborne inheritance. He was then arrested on a charge of perjury, and, after a second trial, was convicted in 1874 and served ten years in prison. He died, impoverished, in 1898. Poem entitled Am I the real Sir Roger and etching portrait related to the Tichborne Claimant case
The Harvard Medical Library does not hold copyright on all materials in this collection. For use information, consult Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu
Contact host institution for more information.