The Tichborne Claimant - One

About this episode

This episode explores the mysterious case of Tom Castro, who may be the missing Baronet Roger Tichbourne.

Quick note all: This episode is approx 29 minutes long… I’ve accidentally left some background music or something muted at the end + will delete that and re-upload once home again…Sorry all, there is no secret Easter egg at the end of this episode, it’s ok to hit stop when the end credits roll… This week On Tales we return to the Australian outback - this is the last time we visit my neighbours to the west of Aotearoa/New Zealand for a while, I promise. The year is 1866, the location Wagga Wagga. Tom Castro, the town’s Chilean-born butcher has a good life, living in ‘Castro villa’ with his young wife and step-daughter. He enjoys his work, horse riding and his larrikin mates down at the local pub… But then one of those larrikins turns his life upside down with a newspaper article. Was Tom secretly Baronet Roger Tichbourne, a British peer who disappeared in mysterious circumstances off the coast of Brazil a dozen years earlier? This is part one of a two parter. Apologies ahead of time, I’ll more likely than not have to pause part two till late December/early January to allow for a Christmas episode. Content warnings: Not too much on this one. Some animal cruelty, and appearance…

People in this episode

Host: Simone Whitlow

Topics covered

• Tichborne Claimant
• Australian history
• identity
• mystery
• 19th century

Keywords

• Tichborne Claimant
• Tom Castro
• Wagga Wagga
• 1866
• identity theft
• Australian outback
• mystery

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Robyn Annear’s The Man Who Lost Himself, Rohan McWilliam’s The Tichborne Claimant

Places: Wagga Wagga, Aotearoa/New Zealand

More episodes of Tales of History and Imagination

• The Storm · May 30, 2026 · 34 min
• The Sacred Band -Three · May 8, 2026 · 44 min
• The Sacred Band -Two · April 10, 2026 · 31 min
• The Sacred Band - One · March 21, 2026 · 28 min
• The Tichborne Claimant - Two · February 23, 2026 · 52 min
• Tales From The Patreon · January 18, 2026 · 29 min