The Town Crier

I remember as a prepubescent fish out of water who had just left her life on a rural rice farm to go live in the burbs so I can attend high school; hearing the village crier's bell and his announcements of either a death or upcoming event, mostly death announcements, for the first time in my life. 

This was in the seventies in a little village in Guyana about thirteen miles from Georgetown, but even then it was a dying practice. I have lived in Canada for twenty seven years and never heard of a Town Crier until the other day but more about that later. 

He was a curious sight. A humble little Indian man, dressed in his dhoti and carrying a bell in his hand, he was sometimes heckled by the local kids but he, ignoring the hecklers would continue to carry out his duty faithfully. 

Many times by the time he arrived to our area, he'd be hoarse. Sometimes folks would ask him to repeat what he said and he'd repeat his important message hoarse as he was, to the best of his ability. He won my respect and admiration this quiet humble little man. In my young mind I thought it was a humiliating job though an important job. To this day when I think of a village crier/bell man, I think of Leah-leah, the village crier.

The Regional reported that the Town of Caledon has just hired a new Town Crier. Andrew Welch is the town's first official Crier since its incorporation in 1974. With an annual budget of $750 for appearances, Andrew will be invited to three to five events per year. He has done unofficial appearances in the past but now he will be able to represent his town and compete in competitions across the country. Although the role of Town Crier is more of a ceremonial matter these days, there can be a lot of activities to keep a Crier busy.

Back in Medieval England town criers held the prestigious positions your local newspaper holds today (before the advent of television and the internet of course). They were the chief means of transmitting news to the town’s people as most were illiterate, but their proclamations were not of just the news. They made Royal proclamations, announced new bylaws, local events, even advertisements, death announcements and other relevant proclamations. The town crier was a paid official of the ruling monarchy and had full legal protection. 

The Chester Chronicle of 9th August 1793 records a cry from the Cheshire town of Northwich: 'A town-crier of Northwich (one of the fair-sex, who has filled that office audibly and laudably more than 20 years) lately proclaim'd as follows:- "This is to gi' notice that there's two pigs lost an hooaver brings um to me shall be well rewarded for ther truble, so God save the King an' the Lord of our Manner - ton's a red on, and t' other's a black on."' 

The term "Posting A Notice" comes from the act of the town crier, who having read his message to the townspeople, would attach it to the door post of the local inn. Some newspapers took the name "The Post" for this reason. 

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.