Town Cryers of Olde        

      What is an official to do with no television or radio or even newspapers, and a good portion of your populace cannot read, when the word must be gotten out to the public? Although there were "proclaimers" almost since the dawn of civilization, quite often runners did the job, generally doing little more than shouting out warnings or orders as they rushed past and on to the next town. The only skill set required was running fast. If the public wanted detail, they had to wait for the storytellers or troubadors and then try to sort out the truth from poetic licence.


What...More Taxes?
      The Town Crier (or Bellman, as he was alternatively known )we are most familiar with, however, was a news service with a much shorter history. By now civilization had moved on to the point where it had become necessary to give more detail. Bureaucracy was now in full sway and there were ever more items of information that officials wanted the people to know and the best way to do that was to send the Town Crier (or Bellman, as he was sometimes known) out to tell it to groups of people. Such news might include: the fortunes of war (they almost always were winning, as you might expect); births, deaths or coronations of royalty; new taxes; or new laws or regulations to be obeyed. And even then, as with all modern forms of media, there was the omnipresent commercial advertisement to further support the Crier.

Crying & Posting
      At times, the proclamation was given to the Town Crier as it was to be read but, otherwise he would write it out himself. In either case, he would make as many copies as he would need (by hand, of course, as there were no photocopiers). Then he would go to the places where people met, such as government buildings, marketplaces or the ever popular taverns to make the announcement. He would ring his bell (in the earlier days, his wife might carry and ring it to leave his hands free) to get the attention of all within reach of its sound. Then the Crier would, in a loud and clear voice, let out his trademark call...

"Oyez...oyez...oyez!"

...which commanded all present to listen to what he had to say. "Oyez", roughly translated, is French for "Hear ye", although only in American movies do they use the English translation.
      When the town crier finished reading it out, the proclamation would be made official by nailing the notice to the building's doorpost or to a noticepost erected in a place such as market. This is what came to be known as "posting a notice" and this was also the reason for so many newspapers to eventually come to be named "The Post". It was quite illegal to remove these notices for a given amount of time.

Don't Shoot the Crier
      As you might expect, hearing about new laws and taxes was not always popular among the citizens. This sometimes led to cases of the Town Crier being harmed by angry mobs. To solve this problem, and because the Town Crier was technically appointed in the name of the reigning monarch, a law was enacted that set the penalty for attacking the crier the same as for attacking the monarch him/herself, an unquestionably unpleasant prospect.


A Special Position
      How was a Town Crier chosen? Generally, they were persons of at least some moderate social standing for they would be required to read and write. Sometimes, however, it was given as a reward for service and might be given to senior non-commissioned officers, such as sergeant-majors, when they retired. The choice of people of standing or ex-soldiers also gave the added advantage of a Town Crier who was familiar with duty, protocol and a commanding, if no doubt at times arrogant, presence in the face of an unfriendly audience.
      By the turn of the nineteenth century some towns, depending upon their size, may have had as many as four criers (or even more):
      1. If it was a garrison town, proclamations for the Crown were made by the Officer of the Day, accompanied by a fife and drum;
      2. Proclamations on behalf of the Town Council were made by a municipal employee, such as a constable, whose duties would include the position of Town Crier;
      3. The court had its own Crier who, in that day announced verdicts, trials to be held and any other business of the court;
      4. Newspapers often had Criers who made "teaser" announcements to get people to read their paper, much as television news begins with headlines.
      The modern Town Crier is generally chosen initially through a competition and is then appointed by their sponsors, often a municipality or historical society.

      For more detailed information (and a good read), I refer you to the book "For Crying Out Loud" by David Mitchell, Official Town Crier to the historic city of Chester, England.

Crier Trivia       The Town Crier's attention-getting device may not always be a hand bell. That is merely the most common in Bitish-based culture (Great Britain, Canada, Australia, the United States, etc.). Criers of military background may use bugles or drums and those with a naval uniform may use bosun's pipe. In Europe some criers use drums, cymbals, rattles, clappers, or horns to get the audience's attention. And that is, of course the whole point; to get the attention of all within earshot so they will listen to the message the Crier is about to deliver.