ARCHIVE, or ARCHIVES, a cham ber or apartment where the public papers or records of a state or community are deposited : sometimes, by a common figure, applied to the papers themselves.
The word archive is ultimately derived from the Greek 'Apxelow (Archeion). The Greek word archeion seems, in its primary signification, to mean "a council-house, or state-house," or " a body of public functionaries," as the Ephori at Sparta. (Aristotle, Politic. ii. 9 ; and Pausanias, iii. 11.) Others derive the word Archive from arca," a chest," such being in early times a usual depository for records. So Isidorus, Orig. lib. xx. c. 9—" Archa dicta, quod arceat visum atqne prohibeat. Hine et archivum, hint et areanum, id est secretum, unde cseteri arcentur." " It is called Archa, because it does not allow (arc-eat) us to see what is in it. Hence also Archly= and Arcanum, that is, a thing kept secret, from which people are excluded (arc-entur)." This explanation is manifestly false and absurd.
The Greek word Archeion was intro duced into the Latin language, to signify a place in which public instruments were deposited (Dig. 48, tit. 19, s. 9). The word Archive, from which the French and English Archives is derived, is used by Tertullian (Facciol. Lexie. Archium et Archivum') ; thus he speaks of the " Romana Archiva." The Latin word for Archeium is Tabularium.
Among the Romans, archives, in the sense of public documents (tabulte pub lime), were deposited in temples. These documents were—leges, senatusconsulta, tabula censorite, registers of births and deaths, and other like matters. Registers of this kind were kept in the temples of the Nymphs, of Lucina, and others ; but more particularly that of Saturn, in which also the public treasury was kept.
Among the early Christians churches were used for the same purposes. In England registers of births, deaths, and marriages were till recently (1837) kept in the parish churches, and were generally admissible as evidence of the facts to which they relate, though not originally intended for that purpose. Partial attempts
at registration were made by the Dissen ters, such as the registration of births kept at Dr. Williams' Library, Redcross-street. One-half of the parish registers anterior to A.D. 1600 had been lost at the period when the act for the registration of births, marriages, and deaths came into opera tion. By § 8 of this statute a register. office is required to be provided and up held in each poor-law union in England and Wales, for the custody of the registers; and §§ 2 and 5 establish a central office in London. [REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, &c.] By § 65 of the Municipal Corporations Act (5 Wm. IV. c. 76) the custody of charters, deeds, muniments, and records of every borough shall be kept in such place as the council shall direct ; and the town-clerk shall have the charge and cus tody of and be responsible for them.
Justinian's legislation made public do cuments judicial evidence. It is said that Charlemagne ordered the establishment of places for the custody of public docu ments. The church has usually been most careful in the preservation of all its papers, and accordingly such papers are the oldest that have been preserved in modern times. The importance of care fully preserving all documents that relate to transactions which affect the interests of the state and its component members is obvious ; and next to the preservation of such documents, the most important thing is to arrange them well, and render them accessible, under proper regulations. to all persons who have occasion to use them. What has been done in this way in Germany is stated in the article Ar chive,' in the of Rotteck and Welcker.
In England the wordArchives is not used to indicate public documents. Such docu ments are called Charters, Muniments, Records, and State-papers. [RECORDS.)