David gives a talk on the history of the Town Crier

Town Criers, by other names, for example Bellmen date back to ancient Greek and Roman times. The first Town Criers were the Spartan Runners in the early Greek empire, and, as the Roman Conquest spread through Europe, the position increased in importance until it became a position of the court. In those days, criers would tell the news and give information about local events.

From the year 396 BC onwards the Olympic Games in Greece were opened by a contest for heralds (town Criers) and trumpeters. The Olympic Games were opened in Sydney and subsequently in Athens by the Heralds. In bygone days the opening was given to the trumpeter was also chosen to give the signal for various events.

The ritual inauguration to choose which Herald was to proclaim the judge’s verdict was the fore runner of the Town Criers competitions held today. A Greek warrior in the Trojan War with the name of Stentor was said to have a voice as powerful as the voices of 50 men, hence the word ‘stentorian’, a word used liberally by Victorian writers to describe Bell men and Town Criers.

Mention is made in historical circles that in Roman Britain, Town Criers were messengers, who would travel between settlements, bringing the news of battles. The bad news for these unfortunates was that in those days the bearers of bad tidings were put to death.

In England, the first recorded use of Town Criers was in the year 1066, when following the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror had men go out and announce his victory in all of the local towns. The history of the Town Crier is somewhat blurred prior to the Norman Invasion in 1066, however they were featured on the Bayeux Tapestry so they must have been about prior to the battle in 1066.

William the Conqueror was a great reformist and a great radical and he wanted his new laws spread throughout the land in the local dialect, he is said to have used the Town Crier for that purpose. He decreed that all large cities and towns should have a crier to spread the news, warn of danger and other happenings throughout the Kingdom. In other words the Town crier was a talking newspaper, giving proclamations and laws besides the news.

Way back in medieval times, it was not unusual for most people to be illiterate. The nobility of the time had their own heralds, who announced proclamations and laws. Citizens were kept informed of matters of both local and national importance – anything from Royal events, wars, executions and taxation down to lost dogs and minor misdemeanours could be announced by the Town Crier.

Prior to the introduction of a formal police force, the Town Crier, being a true, trusted royalist, was also often empowered to uphold the law. Town Criers or Heralds as they were known in earlier times were considered to be sacrosanct. An assault on a Town Crier was regarded as a treasonable act, as the crier spoke with the voice of the King. Town Criers were protected by law. “Don’t shoot the messenger” was a very real command back in those days. To this day, any Town Crier in the British Commonwealth is protected under old English law that they are not to be hindered or heckled while performing their duties.

Usually people of standing in the community were chosen as criers, for they had to be able to write and read the official proclamations. Often they were a husband and wife team with the wife ringing the large handbell and the husband doing the shouting.

Often the role of Town Crier was passed down from father to son for many generations, and it was seen as a position of some standing in the community.

Right up until the nineteenth century, illiteracy was still rampant. Town Criers were an established part of life, in times when most people could not read or write, they were the only way for the information to be disseminated to the public. The Criers were themselves usually people of good standing in the community, as they had to be able to read and write. They would also sound the alarm in the case of fire and theft or invasion of privacy.

Criers were an extension of the system of Kings messengers, and , as such, they were representatives of the monarch, they would always end their messages with GOD SAVE THE KING or QUEEN this of course is still practiced today. They cried the news to all and sundry, and then would nail the paper it was written on to a post in front of an inn so those who were able to read could read it for themselves; this is the origin of the phrase “posting a notice” and the location for sending and receiving notices was the fore runner to the “post office”.

As literacy spread. the Town Criers role was eventually superseded by the regular press many of which were named after those very posts as in the Yorkshire Post etc.

The daily newspaper was the beginning of the end of the Town Crier as a necessary position.

Today, many cities and towns are reviving the position of Town Crier as a visible link to the past. Today’s criers work for whoever appoints them, they will often hire themselves out for private functions and will also promote their home town in competitions across the globe.

Town Crying is not exclusive to these shores, many other countries including Australia, New Zealand, America, Canada, South Africa, Bermuda and some European countries have Town Criers.

There are about 220 Criers in Britain representing Towns and Cities and in some cases Lords of the Manor. Some Towns have kept up the tradition of having a crier through the ages, others such as Crewkerne have now got one for the very first time.

So whenever you hear the ringing of a bell and the ancient call of “OYEZ, OYEZ, OYEZ!” Stand still, pay attention and listen. The Town Crier just might have something to say!!