Famous Impostors

Bram Stoker spent his last years collecting history's great frauds: pretenders to thrones, alchemists and witch-finders, the Tichborne Claimant — and the strange Cotswold legend that Queen Elizabeth was really a boy.

Arthur Orton

10 cases in this part of Famous Impostors.

Arthur Orton

(The Tichborne Claimant.) IN the annals of crime, Arthur Orton, the notorious claimant to the rich estates and title of Tichborne, takes a…

Arthur Orton: Tichborne

The baronetcy of Tichborne, now Doughty-Tichborne, is one of the oldest. It has been claimed that the family held possession of the Manor…

Arthur Orton: Henry

Strangely enough Sir Henry Tichborne, the baronet of that day (the original name of de Ticheborne had by this time been reduced to…

Arthur Orton: France

Sir Henry Tichborne, who had succeeded in 1821, though blessed with seven beautiful daughters, had Still there was their uncle Edward, who…

Arthur Orton: Roger

Tichborne learned of this step, her fury knew no bounds. She upbraided her husband violently; and there was a renewal of the old scenes in…

Arthur Orton: Bella

Presently the wanderer began to retrace his steps, making his way to Rio de Janeiro. Here, he found a vessel called the Bella hailing from…

Arthur Orton: Wagga

Firm in her belief that Roger was still alive, Lady Tichborne now caused advertisements to be inserted in numerous papers; and in November…

Arthur Orton: Australia

His original intention was probably to obtain some sort of recognition, and then to return to Australia with whatever money he had…

Arthur Orton: Claimant

The trial of this action lasted 102 days. Sergeant Ballantine led for the Claimant; and Sir John Coleridge (afterwards Lord Chief-justice)…

Arthur Orton: Osprey

There was a deal of cross-swearing. The climax of the long trial was the production by the defence of a witness to support the Claimant's…

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Famous Impostors (1910) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.