OpenLegislation

Forgery Act 1861

Vict/24-25 c. 98 · Enacted 6 August 1861 · Extends to England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 1 February 1991.

An Act to consolidate and amend the Statute Law of England and Ireland relating to indictable Offences by Forgery.[6th August 1861]C1C2C3C4C5

Annotations to the whole text

Modifications

C1

Short title given by Short Titles Act 1896 (c. 14)

C2

Preamble omitted under authority of Statute Law Revision Act 1892 (c. 19)

C3

References to penal servitude to be construed as references to imprisonment and references to penal servitude for life to be construed as references to imprisonment for life or any shorter term: Criminal Justice Act 1948 (c. 58), s. 1(1)

C4

This Act is not necessarily in the form in which it has effect in Northern Ireland

C5

Act repealed (E.W.N.I.) so far as unrepealed, except sections 34, 36, 37 and 55 by Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 (c. 45), Sch. Pt. 1

Contents

  1. 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  3. 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  4. 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  5. 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  6. 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  7. 6. Repealed
  8. 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  10. 28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  11. 29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  12. As to falsely acknowledging recognizances, &c.:–
  13. 34Acknowledging recognizance, bail, cognovit, &c. in the name of another.
  14. 35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  15. As to forging registers of births, marriages, and deaths:—
  16. 36Forging registers of births, baptisms, marriages, deaths, or burials.
  17. 37Making false entries in copies of register sent to registrar.
  18. 38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  19. 42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  20. 44. Repealed
  21. 45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  22. 47. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  23. 49. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  24. 50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  25. 51. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  26. 52. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  27. 53. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  28. 54. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  29. 55Act not to extend to Scotland.
  30. 56. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed

1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

6.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1 . . . . . .

7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

34Acknowledging recognizance, bail, cognovit, &c. in the name of another.

Whosoever, without lawful authority or excuse (the proof whereof shall lie on the party accused), shall in the name of any other person acknowledge any recognizance or bail, or any cognovit, actionem, or judgment, or any deed or other instrument, before any court, judge, or other person lawfully authorized in that behalf, shall be guilty of felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable . . . F1 to be kept in penal servitude for any term not exceeding seven years . . . F2

35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

36Forging registers of births, baptisms, marriages, deaths, or burials.C1

Whosoever shall unlawfully, destroy, deface, or injure, or cause or permit to be destroyed, defaced, or injured, any register of births, baptisms, marriages, deaths, or burials which now is or hereafter shall be by law authorized or required to be kept in England or Ireland, or any part of any such register, or any certified copy of any such register, or any part thereof, . . . F1 or shall knowingly and unlawfully insert or cause or permit to be inserted in any such register, or in any certified copy thereof, any false entry of any matter relating to any birth, baptism, marriage, death, or burial, or shall knowingly and unlawfully give any false certificate relating to any birth, baptism, marriage, death, or burial or shall certify any writing to be a copy or extract from any such register, knowing such writing, or the part of such register whereof such copy or extract shall be so given, to be false in any material particular, . . . or shall offer, utter, dispose of, or put off any such register, entry, certified copy, certificate, . . . knowing the same to be false, . . . or shall offer, utter, dispose of, or put off any copy of any entry in any such register, knowing such entry to be false, . . . shall be guilty of felony, and being convicted thereof, shall be liable . . . F2 to be kept in penal servitude for life . . .

37Making false entries in copies of register sent to registrar.

Whosoever shall knowingly and wilfully insert or cause or permit to be inserted in any copy of any register directed or required by law to be transmitted to any registrar or other officer any false entry of any matter relating to any baptism, marriage, or burial, . . . F1 or shall knowingly and wilfully sign or verify any copy of any register so directed or required to be transmitted as aforesaid, which copy shall be false in any part thereof, knowing the same to be false, or shall unlawfully destroy, deface, or injure, or shall for any fraudulent purpose take from its place of deposit, or conceal, any such copy of any register, shall be guilty of felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable . . . F2 to be kept in penal servitude for life . . .

38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

44.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

47. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

49. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

51. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

52. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

53. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

54. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

55Act not to extend to Scotland.

Nothing in this Act contained shall extend to Scotland, except as otherwise herein-before expressly provided.

56. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1