"... the bank shall smart for it"
November 30, 2008 3:49 PM Subscribe
A lesson for our times: On this date in 1824, Henry Fauntleroy, the last Englishman to hang for forgery, met his fate at Newgate prison. via
In 1807, Fauntleroy inherited a partnership in the foundering London bank Marsh, Sibbald, Stracey, Fauntleroy & Graham.
"At this time I was only twenty-two years of age, and the whole weight of an extensive but needy Banking establishment at once devolved upon me, and I found the concern deeply involved in advances to builders and others which had rendered a system of discounting necessary, and which we were obliged to continue in consequence of the scarcity of money at that time, and the necessity of making further advances to those persons to secure the sums in which they stood indebted."
Marsh, Sibbald was hit with demands from creditors and suffered losses in speculations with "builders and brickmarkers." In 1819, one of Fauntleroy's partners died, and the bank lacked funds to pay cover the cost of his capital. That's when Fauntleroy took his drastic step and sold stock that he was supposed to be holding for investors.
"In order to keep up the credit of our house, I have forged powers of attorney for the above sums and parties, and sold out to the amount here stated, and without the knowledge of my partners. I kept up the payment of the dividends, but made no entries of such payments in our books. The bank began first to refuse to discount our acceptances, and to destroy the credit of our house: the bank shall smart for it."
Fauntleroy denied using the money to finance a debauched lifestyle.
Broadside of his execution here.
In 1807, Fauntleroy inherited a partnership in the foundering London bank Marsh, Sibbald, Stracey, Fauntleroy & Graham.
"At this time I was only twenty-two years of age, and the whole weight of an extensive but needy Banking establishment at once devolved upon me, and I found the concern deeply involved in advances to builders and others which had rendered a system of discounting necessary, and which we were obliged to continue in consequence of the scarcity of money at that time, and the necessity of making further advances to those persons to secure the sums in which they stood indebted."
Marsh, Sibbald was hit with demands from creditors and suffered losses in speculations with "builders and brickmarkers." In 1819, one of Fauntleroy's partners died, and the bank lacked funds to pay cover the cost of his capital. That's when Fauntleroy took his drastic step and sold stock that he was supposed to be holding for investors.
"In order to keep up the credit of our house, I have forged powers of attorney for the above sums and parties, and sold out to the amount here stated, and without the knowledge of my partners. I kept up the payment of the dividends, but made no entries of such payments in our books. The bank began first to refuse to discount our acceptances, and to destroy the credit of our house: the bank shall smart for it."
Fauntleroy denied using the money to finance a debauched lifestyle.
Broadside of his execution here.
This post was deleted for the following reason: poster's request. -- jessamyn
Jesus, when I was a pharmacist I'd see forged doctor's signatures on stolen and/or photocopied prescriptions ALL THE GODDAMN TIME.
Eventually you give up reporting it to the police or DSHS, if the forger was on welfare, as nothing would ever come of it.
I left pharmacy in 2002, and by that time we were just beginning to see de novo creation of prescription blanks using computers and printers. So if you make up a phony doctor is it even forgery when you "sign" their name?
Forging a doctor's signature is about as low risk a crime as speeding on the highway...
posted by Tube at 5:03 PM on November 30, 2008
Eventually you give up reporting it to the police or DSHS, if the forger was on welfare, as nothing would ever come of it.
I left pharmacy in 2002, and by that time we were just beginning to see de novo creation of prescription blanks using computers and printers. So if you make up a phony doctor is it even forgery when you "sign" their name?
Forging a doctor's signature is about as low risk a crime as speeding on the highway...
posted by Tube at 5:03 PM on November 30, 2008
A lesson for our times...
We should hang more 19th-century bankers? Huh?
posted by Xezlec at 6:35 PM on November 30, 2008
We should hang more 19th-century bankers? Huh?
posted by Xezlec at 6:35 PM on November 30, 2008
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