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This week on Dee-Brief, Dee dives into one of the most extraordinary courtroom dramas of Victorian England — the case of The Tichborne Claimant.
When Sir Roger Tichborne vanished at sea, his grieving mother refused to believe he was gone. Over a decade later, a butcher from Australia stepped forward, claiming to be the missing heir — sparking one of the longest and most sensational trials in British history.
Was he a conman, a delusional dreamer, or a symbol of class rebellion? This is the story of Arthur Orton — or Sir Roger, depending on who you asked — and the bizarre, heartbreaking, and utterly human saga that captivated a nation.
Part scandal, part tragedy, part early celebrity circus — the Tichborne case is proof that truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction.
Sources:
Rohan McWilliam, The Tichborne Claimant: A Victorian Sensation (Continuum, 2007)
Christopher Hilliard, The Claimant: A True Story of a Man Who Would Be King (Penguin, 2024)
The Times archives (London, 1871–1874)
British Library: Tichborne Trials Collection
BBC History Magazine, “The Butcher Who Claimed to Be an Aristocrat” (2015)
The National Archives, UK: CRIM 1/51, R v. Castro (The Tichborne Case)
💀 About Dee-Brief:Dee-Brief is a mini-episode series from Switchblade Sisters Social Club — bite-sized true crime stories to keep you entertained while the main show’s on a season break. Smaller cases, same creepy-cute energy.
🛍️ Check Out Our Merch: Support the show and look creepy-cool doing it. Visit our RedBubble shop for tees, hats, notebooks, and more.
🔪 Follow & Subscribe: Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your true crime fix. Leave a review, share with your fellow creeps, and stay tuned for next week’s Dee-Brief.
#SwitchbladeSistersSocialClub #DeeBrief #TrueCrimePodcast #VictorianCrime #TheTichborneClaimant #IdentityTheft #Conman #VictorianScandal #TrueCrimeCommunity #PodcastShowNotes #DarkHistory #CreepyCute #WomenInPodcasting
By The Switchblade Sisters5
22 ratings
This week on Dee-Brief, Dee dives into one of the most extraordinary courtroom dramas of Victorian England — the case of The Tichborne Claimant.
When Sir Roger Tichborne vanished at sea, his grieving mother refused to believe he was gone. Over a decade later, a butcher from Australia stepped forward, claiming to be the missing heir — sparking one of the longest and most sensational trials in British history.
Was he a conman, a delusional dreamer, or a symbol of class rebellion? This is the story of Arthur Orton — or Sir Roger, depending on who you asked — and the bizarre, heartbreaking, and utterly human saga that captivated a nation.
Part scandal, part tragedy, part early celebrity circus — the Tichborne case is proof that truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction.
Sources:
Rohan McWilliam, The Tichborne Claimant: A Victorian Sensation (Continuum, 2007)
Christopher Hilliard, The Claimant: A True Story of a Man Who Would Be King (Penguin, 2024)
The Times archives (London, 1871–1874)
British Library: Tichborne Trials Collection
BBC History Magazine, “The Butcher Who Claimed to Be an Aristocrat” (2015)
The National Archives, UK: CRIM 1/51, R v. Castro (The Tichborne Case)
💀 About Dee-Brief:Dee-Brief is a mini-episode series from Switchblade Sisters Social Club — bite-sized true crime stories to keep you entertained while the main show’s on a season break. Smaller cases, same creepy-cute energy.
🛍️ Check Out Our Merch: Support the show and look creepy-cool doing it. Visit our RedBubble shop for tees, hats, notebooks, and more.
🔪 Follow & Subscribe: Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your true crime fix. Leave a review, share with your fellow creeps, and stay tuned for next week’s Dee-Brief.
#SwitchbladeSistersSocialClub #DeeBrief #TrueCrimePodcast #VictorianCrime #TheTichborneClaimant #IdentityTheft #Conman #VictorianScandal #TrueCrimeCommunity #PodcastShowNotes #DarkHistory #CreepyCute #WomenInPodcasting

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