noun
clerk; secretary; scribe; copyist
A person whose job is writing or copying documents by hand; often used in historical or administrative contexts. Similar to 書記, but 書き役 emphasizes the writing role.
See also: 書記
江戸時代の書き役は、公文書を清書するのが主な仕事だった。
In the Edo period, a scribe's main job was to make fair copies of official documents.
He was hired as a clerk at the town office.
書記 is a more common and modern term for a secretary or clerk, while 書き役 has a slightly older or more specific nuance of a person who writes or copies documents.
Compound of 書き (kaki, 'writing') + 役 (yaku, 'role' or 'duty'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word straightforwardly means 'writing role'.