Notary Public Day, November 7th
The date of November 7th was chosen as Notary Public Day in recognition of the day that America’s first notary, Thomas Fugill, was appointed, by the coastal Colony of New Haven (now the capital of Connecticut) in 1639.
The Pilgrims (see Mayflower image) landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620 to form Plymouth Colony.
Most of the New England notary records from that time have been lost or destroyed, but the notary journal from 1644 of William Aspinwall of Boston has survived.
In Colonial America, notaries lived in coastal seaports because they were needed for Trans-Atlantic shipping commerce.
Christopher Columbus
The first notary in North America landed with Christopher Columbus in 1492. Rodrigo de Escobedo sailed on the flagship Santa Maria and was secretary of the fleet. The painting “Landing of Columbus” hangs in the rotunda at the U.S. Capitol and shows the notary standing behind the right shoulder of Columbus.
Notary History began with Writing Systems
Notaries have been around for 5,000 years since the invention of writing systems and record-keeping in ancient Sumer, China, India, Egypt, Rome, Greece, Phoenicia, and the Maya civilization.
Notary Role
They serve the public by recording transactions of legal, judicial, and commercial importance, as well as private documents in an official notary journal.
As neutral third-party officials, notaries help to deter fraud and promote confidence and trust in the authenticity of document transactions. There are nearly 4.8 million notaries in the United States.
Some notaries offer a discount or free notary services on November 7th, Notary Public Day.
Image Credits:
1. Mayflower, painting, 1882, William Halsall (http://www.artcom.com/Museums/vs/mr/02360-38.htm) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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[Last-Modified Date 2022-04-28] moved Colorado notary history to a new post
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