Royal arms

Bank Charter Act 1844

1844 CHAPTER 32 7 and 8 Vict

An Act to regulate the Issue of Bank Notes, and for giving to the Bank of England certain Privileges for a limited Period.

1 Bank to establish a separate department for the issue of notes.

The issue of promissory notes of the governor and company of the Bank of England, payable on demand, shall be separated and thenceforth kept wholly distinct from the general banking business of the said governor and company; and the business of and relating to such issue shall be thenceforth conducted and carried on by the said governor and company in a separate department, to be called “the Issue Department of the Bank of England,” . . . F1

2, 3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3

5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4

F56 Weekly account in form in schedule (A.) to be rendered by the Bank of England.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6

8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F7

9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F8

10 No banker not issuing notes on 6th May 1844, to issue notes hereafter.

No person other than a banker who on the sixth day of May one thousand eight hundred and forty-four was lawfully issuing his own bank notes shall make or issue bank notes in any part of the United Kingdom.

11 Restriction against issue of bank notes.

It shall not be lawful for any banker to draw, accept, make, or issue, in England or Wales, any bill of exchange or promissory note or engagement for the payment of money payable to bearer on demand, or to borrow, owe, or take up, in England or Wales, any sums or sum of money on the bills or notes of such banker payable to bearer on demand, . . . F9

F1012 Bankers ceasing to issue notes may not resume.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13—20.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F11

21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F12

22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13

23, 24.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F14

25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F15

26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F16

F1727 Bank to enjoy privileges, subject to redemption.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

28 Interpretation clause.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F18 in this Act. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F18 the term “Bank of England notes” shall extend and apply to the promissory notes of the Bank of England payable to bearer on demand; and the term “banker” shall extend and apply to all corporations, societies, partnerships, and persons, and every individual person, carrying on the business of banking, whether by the issue of bank notes or otherwise, except only the Bank of England; and the word “person” used in this Act shall include corporations; and the singular number in this Act shall include the plural number, and the plural number the singular, except where there is any thing in the context repugnant to such construction; and the masculine gender in this Act shall include the feminine, except where there is any thing in the context repugnant to such construction.

29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F19

SCHEDULES to which the Act refers.

SCHEDULE (A.)

Bank of England.

An Account pursuant to the Act 7 & 8 Vict. Cap. for the Week ending on the day of

Issue Department.

£

£

Notes issued

Government debt

Other securities

Gold coin and bullion

Silver bullion

————

————

£

£

————

————

Dated the day of 18 .

———————Cashier

Banking Department.

£

£

Proprietors capital

Government securities (including dead weight annuity)

Rest

Other Securities

Public deposits (to include Exchequer, saving banks, commissioners of national debt, and dividend accounts)

Notes

Other deposits

Gold and silver coin

Seven day and other bills

————

————

£

£

————

————

Dated the day of 18 .

———————Cashier.

F20F20SCHEDULES (B.), (C.)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F20