Tabellio

In Roman Law. An officer among the Romans, who reduced to writing, and into proper form, agreements, contracts, wills, and other instruments, and witnessed their execution. The term tabellio is derived from the Latin tabula, sou tabella, which, in this sense, signified those tables or plates covered with wax which were then used instead of paper. 8 Toullier, n. 53. Tabelliones differed from notaries in many respects: they had judicial jurisdiction in some cases, and from their judgments there were no appeals. Notaries were then the clerks or aiders of the tabelliones; they received the agreements of the parties, which they reduced to short notes; and these contracts were not binding until they were written in extenso, which was done by the tabel- Uones. Jacob, Law Diet. Tabellion.

Lat.

In Roman law. An officer corresponding in some respects to a notary. His business was to draw legal' instruments, (contracts, wills, etc.,) and witness their execution. Calvin.

t In the civil law. A public writer of contracts; one who drew, wrote out, and attested instruments. An officer whose functions were similar to those of a modern notary.