1808: Joseph Moreton Hanged in Sydney for Forging a Promissory Note
In early June 1808, Joseph Moreton purchased livestock worth 24 pounds, paying with a promissory note he endorsed on the spot without hesitation. The note later proved to be a forgery.
At trial before the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction in Sydney, multiple witnesses corroborated the transaction and the note was produced as evidence. Moreton claimed he had found it near a bridge in Sydney and held it for some days before passing it on. The court returned a verdict of guilty and a sentence of death. He was hanged on 28 August 1808.
