Theresa Mary Doughty Tichborne

Theresa Mary Doughty Tichborne or Orton (1866–1939) was the daughter of Arthur Orton, a claimant in the 19th century Tichborne case, who continued her father's claim into the 1920s.

Threatening to Murder

In June 1913, Theresa was remanded 'on a charge of threatening to murder' Miss Denise Fulke Greville, fiancée of the then baronet Sir Joseph Tichborne. The substance of the charge was in a letter she sent to the Earl of Granard:

"I have just seen the announcement of the approaching marriage of my cousin, Joseph Tichborne. I have asked you to use your influence to make them give me some of the money they stole from us, but you do nothing. It is nothing to you if I starve, as long as you and your wife can give parties and flaunt about with people who, if they knew the truth, would be ashamed to know you.

You cannot hide any more, for I am making you an accessory before the fact by telling you that I am going to shoot that girl rather than Joseph shall marry her and they shall live on my money. I am going to do it. Now hide, and pretend you think I don't mean it."

A second letter, in the same handwriting, was also produced which warned 'Colonel Stratton Bates' that 'the ladies of his family' should not attend the wedding and would 'be safer elsewhere'.

At the remand hearing, held at the Bow Street Police Court in London, Theresa 'protested that she did not intend to do any harm to Miss Grenville' and 'her only motive' in writing to Granard (who was married to wealthy American heiress Beatrice Mills) was 'to attract attention to her case'.

The issue of Theresa and her late father's names was the subject of exchanges at the hearing. When the prosecutor stated that 'The defendant represents herself to be the daughter of Arthur Orton', she responded 'I never said so, I said Sir Roger Tichborne'. Similarly, when the arresting officer referred to the arrest warrant being made out in the name of 'Alexander', she explained 'Alexander is my stage name. My correct-name is Theresa Mary Doughty Tichborne'. She was remanded until the following Friday and then granted bail.

A second charge of blackmail was added in early July and at trial, later that month, it was revealed that she had 'for years past... annoyed the Tichborne family' and 'to members of which she had sent begging letters' which 'verged on blackmail'. Sir Joseph's father, the late Sir Henry Tichborne, had 'charitably given the accused £25, which she had accepted as an acknowledgement of her connection with the family' and, following this, she had asked Sir Joseph 'to give her £10,000 and she would not worry him any further'. She had also sent another letter accusing Sir Joseph's mother of destroying Sir Henry's will.

Theresa was found guilty of blackmail and sentenced to six months imprisonment. The following year, as 'Theresa Alexander', she was successful in her application to the court to have her sister stand surety on her £100 twelve-month good behavior bond.

Defamatory Libel

In September 1923, Theresa appeared at the Clerkenwell Police Court charged with 'publishing a defamatory libel concerning Sir Joseph Tichborne'. She had previously been charged with 'writing a letter threatening to murder Sir George Lewis, the solicitor' and would be, the prosecutor stated, shortly facing 'fresh charges... of demanding money by menace'. Described in a news report as a 'tall woman of dignified appearance', she was said to have sent 'a series of amazing letters' in which she claimed Sir Joseph Tichborne had bribed her to commit suicide. In the earliest letter, sent to the Coroner of Brockenhurst, where she was living, she wrote:

"A man named Draper came to see me last Saturday, and told me he was from Sir Joseph Tichborne. He said he wondered I did not feel suicidal with all these debts hanging over me. I said I often did. He then told me my cousin, Sir Joseph, had told him he would pay anything to know I was dead.

I asked if he thought he would pay my debts if I were dead, and he said, "Rather." I wrote to my cousin, Sir Joseph, last week, and I said I will accept his offer and take my own life."

 Theresa Tichbourne served a 12-month sentence in HM Prison Holloway in 1924. After this she wrote to Sir Joseph Tichborne stating that she had 'applied to the Magistrates... to protect me against you' and added 'The suggestion is that I should give up the claim to the Tichborne estates and my name and relationship on the consideration that you give me sufficient income. I am owing in Brocklehurst £3000'. After writing to the solicitors Lewis and Lewis requesting £50, she wrote again to Sir Joseph stating that if the solicitors 'do not come to a settlement' she would go to the Tichborne estate and 'commit suicide, as you suggest I should do'. To George Lewis she wrote 'If I am to shoot some one like you before committing suicide... there wouldn't be much chance of the matter being hushed up again'. While to the actress Gladys Cooper, she referred to an earlier correspondence where she 'warned' Cooper to 'stay away' from Sir Joseph and his wife, before repeating the suicide claim and asking 'would you lend me a few pounds by the morning?'.

Theresa was brought to trial in October 1923 and was sentenced to one year in prison for 'writing threatening letters' and attempting to 'extort money from the Tichborne family by threats to kill them'. Upon her release she was given a twelve-month good behavior bond with £300 of her own money and two sureties of £100 each. She was unable to find the sureties and was returned to jail.

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