Forgery Act 1830

The Forgery Act 1830 (11 Geo 4 & 1 Will 4 c 66) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It consolidated into one Act all legislation imposing the death penalty for forgery (except for counterfeiting coins). (It did not apply to Scotland or Ireland.[3]) Two years later the death penalty was abolished for most of these offences,[4] and for the remaining offences in 1837.[5]

The Forgery Act 1830[1]
Long titleAn Act for reducing into One Act all such Forgeries as shall henceforth be punished with Death, and for otherwise amending the Laws relative to Forgery.
Citation11 Geo 4 & 1 Will 4 c 66
Dates
Royal assent23 July 1830
Commencement21 July 1830[2]
Text of statute as originally enacted

Background

In 1812, William Booth was the last person to be hanged for forgery in England. A public outcry at the harshness of his sentence resulted in the death penalty in England and Wales being reserved for capital crimes, making Booth the last person in England hanged for a non-capital crime.[6]

Repeal

The whole Act, except for section 21, was repealed on 1 November 1861 by section 1 of, and the Schedule to, the 24 & 25 Vict c 95. This Act was repealed for the Republic of Ireland by sections 2 and 3 and Part 4 of Schedule 2 to the Statute Law Revision Act 2007.

Section 2 - Forging the Great Seal, Privy Seal, Privy Signet, Royal Sign Manual etc, treason and capital

This section replaced the corresponding provisions in the Treason Act 1351 and the 1 Mary Stat 2 c 6. (This form of treason was reduced to felony when section 2 was replaced by the Forgery Act 1861.)

Section 21 - Rector etc not liable to any penalty for correcting, in the mode prescribed, accidental errors in the register

This section read:

Provided always, and be it enacted, That no Rector, Vicar, Curate, or officiating Minister of any Parish, District-Parish, or Chapelry, who shall discover any Error in the Form or Substance of the Entry in the Register of any Baptism, Marriage, or Burial respectively by him solemnized, shall be liable to any of the Penalties herein mentioned if he shall within One Calendar Month after the Discovery of such Error, in the Presence of the Parent or Parents of the Child baptized, or of the Parties married, or in the Presence of Two Persons who shall have attended at any Burial, or in the Case of the Death or Absence of the respective Parties aforesaid, then in the Presence of the Churchwardens or the Chapelwardens, correct the Entry which shall have been found erroneous, according to the Truth of the Case, by Entry in the Margin of the Register wherein such erroneous Entry shall have been made, without any Alteration or Obliteration of the original Entry, and shall sign such Entry in the Margin, and add to such Signature the Day of the Month and Year when such Correction shall be made; and such Correction and Signature shall be attested by the Parties in whose Presence the same are directed to be made as aforesaid: Provided also, that in the Copy of the Register which shall be transmitted to the Registrar of the Diocese, the said Rector, Vicar, Curate or officiating Minister shall certify the Corrections so made by him as aforesaid.

Nothing contained in the Act 24 & 25 Vict c 95 in any manner altered or affected any power or authority given by this section to alter or amend any register of births, baptisms, marriages, deaths or burials.[7] This section was repealed by section 26(2) of, and Schedule 4 to, the Parochial Registers and Records Measure 1978 (No 2). It is replaced by section 4 of that Measure.

See also

References
  • The Statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 11 Geo. IV. & 1 Will. IV. 1830. King's Printer. London. 1830. Pages 403 to 418.
  • Hansard
  1. The citation of this Act by this short title was authorised by section 1 of, and the First Schedule to, the Short Titles Act 1896. Due to the repeal of those provisions it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
  2. The Forgery Act 1830, section 32
  3. Section 29
  4. Forgery, Abolition of Punishment of Death Act 1832
  5. Forgery Act 1837 (7 Will.4 & 1. Vict. c.84)
  6. John Nicholls Booth (1982). Booths in history: Their roots and lives, encounters, and achievements. Ridgeway Press. ISBN 978-0943230009.
  7. 24 & 25 Vict c 95, section 4


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