Scrivener

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A scrivener (or scribe) was traditionally a person who could read and write. This usually indicated secretarial and administrative duties such as dictation and keeping business, judicial, and history records for kings, nobility, temples, and cities. Scriveners later developed into public servants, accountants, lawyers and petition writers, etc.

A famous work of fiction featuring scriveners is the short story "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville, first published in 1853.

Scrivener can also refer to scrivener notaries, who get their name from the Scriveners' Company. Historically, scrivener notaries were the only notaries public permitted to practice in the City of London, the liberties of Westminster, the borough of Southwark, and the area within three miles of the City. Due to their geographical proximity to the embassies of many civil law countries, scrivener notaries are only appointed after five years articles to a practicing scrivener notary. Scrivener notaries must be fluent in one or two foreign languages and be familiar with the principles and practice of foreign law. The historical privilege of scrivener notaries was abolished by the Access to Justice Act 1999, since when any public notary may practice in the City of London and surrounding area.

In Japan, the word is used to refer to legal professions such as judicial scriveners and administrative scriveners.

The Scrivener is a quarterly publication put out by the Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia, Canada.

A scrivener is also someone who scribbles. See scribe.

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Last updated on Friday March 07, 2008 at 17:46:33 PST (GMT -0800)
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