The Town Cryer
The town crier is one of, if not the first, forms of
advertising. Criers often dressed elaborately, by a tradition dating to
the 18th century, in a red and gold coat, white breeches, black boots
and a tricorne hat.
In
English-speaking countries, they carried a handbell to attract people’s
attention, as they shouted the words "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!"
before making their announcements. The word "Oyez" means
"hear ye," which is a call for silence and attention. The
proclamations book in Chester, a city in Cheshire, England, from the
early 19th century records this as "O Yes, O Yes!"
In medieval England, town criers were the chief means
of news communication with the townspeople, since many were illiterate
in a time before the moveable type was invented. Royal proclamations,
local bylaws, market days, advertisements, even selling loaves of sugar
were all proclaimed by a bellman or crier throughout the centuries.
The crier also escorted the destitute to the
workhouse, installed minor criminals in the stocks and administered
floggings. During public hangings he read out why the person was being
hanged, and helped to cut him or her down.
There have been town criers in North America ever
since Europeans have been coming to the continent. There are records
throughout the 16th century of town criers in Mexico, Peru, and Panama.
During the 1830s and 40s Halifax, Nova Scotia had as many as four in the
city. All through the American Colonies and beyond, such as Santa Fe,
New Mexico; Boston, Massachusetts and Stamford, Connecticut had criers
during the mid 17th century. In some places, the office of town crier
lasted into the early 20th century. At least as recently as 1904, Los
Angeles and several adjacent towns had official town criers.
Town criers were protected by law, as they sometimes
brought bad news such as tax increases. Anything done by the town crier
was done in the name of the ruling monarch and harming a town crier was
considered to be treason. The phrase "don’t shoot the
messenger" was a real command.
When the need for a town crier disappeared, the position passed into
local folklore. Informal and later formal town crier competitions were
held from the early 20th century. Subsequently, some cities and towns
reinstated the post purely for ceremonial purposes.
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