James Townshend Saward (1798 – c. 1875) was a Victorian English barrister and forger also known by the nickname of Jem the Penman.
If the holder of the account had a special signature he used only in his cheques, Saward sent an accomplice to acquire a copy.
Eventually banks grew suspicious in London and Saward decided to try his luck elsewhere.
In Great Yarmouth, another accomplice called Hardwicke blundered when he opened an account with one name and commissioned solicitors to collect "debts" by another name.
By the time Saward's answer came, the bank had warned the police who were already questioning Hardwicke.
[4][5] In his play, Jim the Penman (1886), British baronet, barrister and playwright Sir Charles Young, 7th Baronet expanded the scope of the fictional version of Saward, making him a leader of an international forgery ring who forged letters to marry into high society.