PROTHONOTARY, a term which properly signifies first notary, and which was anciently the title of the principal notaries of the emperors of Constantinople.
Prothonotary is with us an officer in the court of king's bench and in that of common pleas, the former of which has one, and the latter three. The prothonotary of the king's bench records all civil actions sued in that court, as the clerk of the crown-office does all criminal causes. The prothonotaries of the common pleas enter and enrol all declarations, pleadings, assizes, judgments, and actions; make out all judicial writs, except writs of habeas corpus and distringas jurator, enter recognizances acknowledged, and all common recoveries; and make exemplifications of records, &c.
In the court of Rome there is a college of twelve prelates, called apostolical prothonotaries, empowered to receive the last wills of cardinals, to direct all informations and proceedings necessary for the canonization of saints, and to attend on the pope whenever he performs any extraordinary ceremony out of Rome.