When you think of a notary, what comes to mind? Odds are, it is an ordinary person who notarizes documents and does their job with pride. Historically speaking, notaries held a much more prominent role in society than they do today. While most of us don’t give notaries a second thought, nor do we assign them with much aplomb, there was a time in history when notaries were almost holy in nature.

Believe it or not, early notaries once acted as church officials appointed by the Pope himself. That’s right, the Pope would vet through a list of notaries and choose the one he best saw fit of the job. Because of this, many notaries were held in very high regard and possessed a valuable position in this early society. When Henry VIII worked to separate England from the Roman Catholic Church, the practice actually continued with the Archbishop of Canterbury. Much like the Pope, his job was to commission notaries throughout England and in the New World.

Does this change the way you think about a notary public? Perhaps, it may change the way you think about these older jobs as a whole.