THE TICHBORNE CLAIMANT; A Victorian mystery

NY: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, 1957. First American edn. 8vo, pp. xx, 479. Index. With several illustrations. Brown cloth. Cover very slightly scuffed at edges, o/w a fine copy. From the library of Alta Rockefeller Prentice. The book concerns the claims by an individual sometimes referred to as Thomas Castro or as Arthur Orton, but usually termed "the Claimant", to be the missing heir to the Tichborne baronetcy. He failed to convince the courts, was convicted of perjury and served a long prison sentence. Roger Tichborne, heir to the family's title and fortunes, had disappeared after a shipwreck in 1854. His mother clung to a belief that he might have survived, and after hearing rumours that he had made his way to Australia, she advertised extensively in Australian newspapers offering a reward for information. In 1866 a butcher known as Thomas Castro from Wagga Wagga came forward claiming to be Roger Tichborne; although his manners and bearing were unrefined, he gathered support and travelled to England. He was instantly accepted by Lady Tichborne as her son, although other family members were dismissive and sought to expose him as an imposter.