Origins of the Common Law Notary Public

An Interesting History Historically, the office of a notary public had its origins in the civil institutions of ancient Rome.  With a long and distinguished history, the office appears to have begun with public officials, called scribae or scribes some of whom at first copied or transcribed public proceedings, state papers, legal forms, judgements, and decrees.  Others were engaged chiefly in matters of private concerns such as drafting dees, wills, conveyances, and the like.  The last century of the Roman Republic saw a new system of shorthanded invented  called  notae tironianae which took its name from  Cicero’s secretary, M  Tullius,
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