De l'origine et de l'institution du notariat Précis historique lu à l'Academie des Sciences, belles-lettres et arts de Clermont-Ferrand

This work traces the earliest ways humans organized ownership, from communal lands to the first notions of private property. It shows how the need to record agreements and transmit rights gave rise to simple rituals—handshakes, symbolic gestures, and oaths—that later evolved into more formal legal instruments.

The author then follows these primitive practices through ancient societies, illustrating how witnesses, family arbitration, and public acts laid the groundwork for the notarial profession. By linking cultural customs to the development of written contracts, the book reveals how the modern role of the notary emerged as a safeguard against forgetfulness, dispute, and corruption. Listeners will gain a clear picture of the social forces that shaped today’s legal safeguards, all presented in an accessible historical narrative.