Daily AncestorScrivener
A scrivener was a professional writer or copyist who drew up deeds, contracts, wills and letters for others for a fee.
When many people could not write well, scriveners prepared legal documents and letters. Early on, in England, the word also covered men who arranged loans at interest.
In colonial records the person who wrote a will or deed may be named as scrivener. Knowing this explains why several unrelated documents share the same handwriting.
As seen in a recordColonial deeds and wills
Writ by Jno. Allen, scrivener
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Scrivener." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/scrivener. Last checked 2026-10-01.