tance
in Hampshire before the Conquest, and derives its name from the river
Itchen, at the head of which it had estates; "hence it was called De
Itchenbourne, since corrupted into Tichborne. Sir John de Tichborne,
knight, sheriff of Southampton, on hearing of the death of Queen
Elizabeth, immediately repaired to Winchester, and there proclaimed
King James VI. (of Scotland) as King of England. In 1621, he was
created a baronet, the honour of knighthood having been previously
conferred upon three of his sons, while his fourth son Henry was
subsequently knighted. Sir Henry, the third baronet, hazarded his life
in defence of Charles I. in several enterprises, and his estates were
sequestrated by the Parliamentarians. After the restoration he was
successively Lieutenant of the New Forest, and Lieutenant of
Ordnance." Other Tichbornes have been sufficiently prominent in their
times to leave marks on the history of the country; and altogether
riches and honours seemed, until comparatively recently, to be the
unshadowed lot of the head of the family. That, however, large estates
and long descent do not always secure perfect happiness, has been very
well shown in the great trial just past, in many ways perfectly
independent of the actual result, or of any question as to whether or
not the claimant was he whom he professed to be.

Family differences and unpleasantnesses seem to have been the actual,
even if remote, cause of the great imposition of Arthur Orton. Had
matters been conducted as one might have anticipated they would among
people blessed with the means of gratifying every whim and caprice,
Roger Tichborne would have lived and died like other men, and his name
would never have been known except as a quiet country gentleman of
English origin and French tastes, which led him into more or less
eccentricities, and caused him to be more or less popular among his
neighbours and dependants. But this was not to be. All great families
have their secret unpleasantnesses, and in these the Tichbornes were
by no means behindhand. The Tichbornes generally had a knack of
disagreeing, and this feeling was shown in excelsis by James, the
father of Roger, and his wife, who lived abroad for many years, she
being French in every sentiment, while the husband was but
naturalized, and now and again exhibited a desire to return to his
native land. When Roger was born there was but little chance of his
ever becoming the owner of either titles