19/08/2026
From Ancient Rome to the notary’s desk
One of the things I particularly enjoy about being a notary is discovering more about the history behind the profession.
When I visited the Roman Villa Experience at The Newt in Somerset I was rather intrigued to find myself thinking about my notarial work.
The word “notary” comes from the Latin 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴, referring to a person who recorded written matters. In Ancient Rome, there were also 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴, who developed an important role in preparing private legal documents. These early traditions form part of the long history behind the notarial profession.
The work of a modern notary has evolved over the centuries. In England & Wales today, notaries are specialist lawyers and the majority of our work involves authenticating documents so they are legally valid, and can be relied upon, abroad.
But there is something rather satisfying about the continuity.
While standing in the reimagined Roman villa, alongside the innovative and interactive visitor centre containing remains of a world nearly 2,000 years old, it struck me that the underlying idea is not quite so different: creating and recording documents that people can rely upon.
The documents may have changed considerably. The importance of getting them right has not.
A lovely reminder that there is rather more history behind my profession than I had appreciated when I first decided to become a notary.
