Companies Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845

Interpretations in this and the special Act:

3. The following words and expressions both in this and the special Act shall have the several meanings hereby assigned to them, unless there be something in the subject or the context repugnant to such construction; (that is to say,)

Words importing the singular number only shall include the plural number; and words importing the plural number only shall include the singular number:

Words importing the masculine gender only shall include females:

The word “lands” shall extend to messuages, lands, tenements, and hereditaments, of any tenure:

The word “lease” shall include an agreement for a lease:

The word “month” shall mean calendar month:

The expression “superior courts” shall mean her Majesty’s superior courts of record at Westminster or Dublin, as the case may require:

The word “oath” shall include affirmation in the case of Quakers, or other declaration lawfully substituted for an oath in the case of any other persons exempted by law from the necessity of taking an oath:

The word “county” shall include any riding or other like division of a county, and shall also include county of a city or county of a town:

The word “justice” shall mean justice of the peace acting for the county, city, borough, liberty, cinque port, or other place where the matter requiring the cognizance of any such justice shall arise, and who shall not be interested in the matter; and where any matter shall be authorized or required to be done by two justices the expression “two justices” shall be understood to mean two justices assembled and acting together in petty sessions:

The expression “the company” shall mean the company constituted by the special Act:

The expression “the directors” shall mean the directors of the the company, and shall include all persons having the direction of the undertaking, whether under the name of directors, managers, committee of management, or under any other name:

The word “shareholder” shall mean shareholder, proprietor, or member of the company; and in referring to any such shareholder, expressions properly applicable to a person shall be held to apply to a corporation: And

The expression “secretary” shall mean the secretary of the company, and shall include the word “clerk.”