It brings news to business's and stuff

A town crier, or bellman, is an officer of the court who makes public pronouncements as required by the court (cf. Black's Law DictionaryBlack's Law Dictionary

Black's Law Dictionary is the most widely used law dictionary in the United States. It was founded by Henry Campbell Black. It is the reference of choice for definitions in legal briefs and court opinions and has been cited as a secondary legal authority in many U.S...

). The crier can also be used to make public announcements in the streets. Criers often dress elaborately, by a tradition dating to the 18th century, in a red and gold robe, white breeches, black boots and a tricorneTricorne

The tricorne or tricorn is a style of hat that was popular during the 18th century, falling out of style by 1800. At the peak of its popularity, the tricorne was worn as civilian dress and as part of military and naval uniforms...

hat.

They carry a handbellHandbell

A handbell is a bell designed to be rung by hand. To ring a handbell, a ringer grasps the bell by its slightly flexible handle - traditionally made of leather, but often now made of plastic - and moves the wrist to make the hinged clapper inside the bell strike...

to attract people's attention, as they shout the words "OyezOyez

Oyez , sometimes ) is a traditional interjection said three times in succession to introduce the opening of a court of law.Until the 18th century, speaking English in an English court of law was not required and one could instead use Law French, a form of French that evolved after the Norman...

, Oyez, Oyez!" before making their announcements. The word "Oyez" means "hear ye," which is a call for silence and attention. Oyez derives from the Anglo-NormanAnglo-Norman language

Anglo-Norman is the name traditionally given to the kind of Old Norman used in England and to some extent elsewhere in the British Isles during the Anglo-Norman period....

word for listen. The proclamations book in ChesterChester

Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...

from the early 19th century records this as O Yes, O Yes!

England

In order to gain the attention of the crowd, the crier would yell, "Hear ye" - "OyezOyez

In Medieval EnglandEngland

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, town criers were the chief means of news communication with the townspeople, since many were illiterate. Royal proclamationProclamation

A proclamation is an official declaration.-England and Wales:In English law, a proclamation is a formal announcement , made under the great seal, of some matter which the King in Council or Queen in Council desires to make known to his or her subjects: e.g., the declaration of war, or state of...

s, local bylaws, market days, adverts, even selling loaves of sugarSugarloaf

A sugarloaf was the traditional form in which refined sugar was produced and sold until the late 19th century when granulated and cube sugars were introduced...

were all proclaimed by a bellman or crier throughout the centuries-at Christmas 1798, the Chester Canal Co. sold some sugar damaged in their packet boatPacket trade

Packet trade generally refers to any regularly scheduled cargo, passenger and mail trade conducted by ship. The ships are called "packet boats" as their original function was to carry mail.-United States:...

and this was to be advertised by the bellman.

Chester records of 1540 show fees due to the bellman included 'of every worshipful gentyllman that goyth onye gounes at ther buryall ...one goune [at funerals gowns would be given to mourners]. when he gythe or aneything that is lost ...jd [one penny]. for every bote lode with powder mellwylle [salted fish] ...one fyshe, for every boute lode with fresh fyshe that he goeth for ...jd [one penny].' In 1556 a record shows 'To ye belman for p'claimyng ye Founder's dyryge 27 Januarij ...ijd [two pence on Henry VIII's death, the founder of the King's School].

A 1701 will of the vicar at Waverton stated that notice was to be given 'by the Belman to the People of Chester, of the time when, and the place where my Corpse is to be buried'

In 1620, there was a fight at the Chester cross between the butchers and the bakers where the 'Cryer brake his Mace in peeces Amonge them'. In 1607, one public notice read by George Tunnall, the bellman, forbade tipping rubbish in the river. In 1715, a local man recorded that the 'Belman at the Cross ... Reads publicly a proclamation in the Mayor's name, commanding all persons in the City to be of peaceable and civil behaviour, not to walk around the Streets or Rows at unreasonable hours of night'. Chester once had a crier, a day bellman and a night bellman but in 1734, John Posnitt took over as 'Day and Night Bellman'.

Salmon fishing season was also closed by the bellman, four newspaper articles of the late 18th century refer to this practice:

Courant 17 April 1792

A few days ago some persons were brought before our magistrates, charged

with angling and catching salmon fry in the River Dee, As the law expressly

forbids the young salmon to be taken, either with nets or other engines, the

bellman had orders to give notice to the inhabitants, that prosecutions

would be commenced against any persons offending in the like manner.

Courant 8 September 1852

Close of the Dee Salmon Fishery

THE 'fence time' for taking salmon in the Dee was 'called' according to

custom on Wednesday last, the 1st September. It is now unlawful to take

salmon in the river by any means whatsoever. Fishermen and dealers,

therefore, will not fail to remember that a heavy penalty now attaches to the

taking of salmon.

Chronicle 29 March 1862

The Dee Salmon Fishery

FISHING commences in March, and the close season on the 1st September, but

little attention has been paid to the latter, except in the immediate

vicinity of Chester, where the [fisher]men were exposed to the observation

of the Dee [Salmon Conservanct]Association. When the bellman was sent by

that body to the fishing villages in the neighbourhood to cry the close

season, the fishermen dropped down with the tide [as far as the Estuary],

and set to work again, beyond the sound of the bell and the surveillance of

the association.

Handbridge was one of these fishing villages of course:

Chronicle 12 December 1845

Illegal Fishing

ON Saturday last, four fishermen, named William Gibson, William Hand, Robert

Barlow, and William Banks, appeared at Chester Police Court, to answer an

information preferred against them by Buckley, the constable appointed by

the River Dee Conservancy, for being out night fishing with illegal nets

(less than 2 1/2 inches in the mesh), and also for taking unsizeable fish,

The information was laid under the 1st George 1. c. 18, s.4.

Immediately upon being placedbefore the Bench, a somewhat noisy colloquy

commenced between the Supt. of Police, the court and the defendants; the

latter stoutly denying that to use small nets would be to ensure the escape

of all other fish. On being told that at this season of the year they could

catch nothing but salmon, Barlow stated that the other night they had caught

nine shillings worth of flukes, and we have good authority for saying that

this statement was correct. Gibson, striking his fist on the table, solemnly

swore that, " he had not killed a salmon since they were cried down

{emphasis added} and another affirmed that it would be no use killing them.

as "they were not fit for pigs, much less Christians." After a long debate

between the Court and the defendants, in which the latter seemed strongly

disposed to try elsewhere the right of the Magistrates to prevent them

fishing with nets of any size, providing they took no salmon, a reluctant

promise was wrung from them, that they would not offend in a similar way in

the future and they were discharged.

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 messengerShooting the messenger

"Shooting the messenger" is a metaphoric phrase used to describe the act of lashing out at the bearer of bad news.In earlier times, messages were usually delivered in person by a human envoy. Sometimes, as in war, for example, the messenger was sent from the enemy camp...

" was a real command.

There is a body of town criers called the Loyal Company of Town Criers. This is a group of like minded men and women who are proud to represent their towns/cities/villages as the town crier/bellman. Any 'official' town crier can apply to join, and they perform the art of town crying at competitions around the United Kingdom all year round.

Europe

As in England, town criers were the means of communication with the people of the town since many people could not read or write. Proclamations, local bylaws, market days, adverts, were all proclaimed by a bellman or crier.

Criers were not always men, many town criers were women. Bells were not the only attention getting device - in HollandNetherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with parts in the Caribbean. It is a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament...

, a gongGong

A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a malleta....

was the instrument of choice for many, and in FranceFrance

France , officially the French Republic , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English...

a drum was used, or a hunting hornHorn (instrument)

The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about 12-13 feet of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....

North America

The office of town crier persisted into the early 20th century in some places. At least as recently as 1904, Los AngelesLos Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

and several adjacent towns had official town criers. Even to the current day, the village of MariemontMariemont, Ohio

Mariemont is a planned community village in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. It includes one or two historic districts, Village of Mariemont and Mariemont Historic District. Founded in the 1920s by Mary Emery, Mariemont exhibits English architecture from Norman to classic Georgian style...

located within Cincinnati still employs a town crier, often touted as the last town crier in the United StatesUnited States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Modern town criers

When need for a town crier disappeared, the position passed into local folkloreFolklore

Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...

. Informal and later formal town crier competitions were held from the late 20th century. Subsequently some cities and towns reinstated the post purely for ceremonial purposes.

United Kingdom

Many local councils in England and Wales reinstated the post of town crier from the mid 1990s onwards. Many are honorary appointments or employed part time by the council. As of October 2010, there were 144 towns in England and Wales with town criers registered with the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers. They mainly perform ceremonial duties at civic functions. Local councils with a paid town crier often make them available for charity events.

In some cases, such as in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon ThamesRoyal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is a borough in southwest London, England. The main town is Kingston upon Thames and it includes Surbiton, Chessington, New Malden and Tolworth. It is the oldest of the three Royal Boroughs in England, the others are Kensington and Chelsea, also in London,...

, the town crier is also the TipstaffTipstaff

The Tipstaff is an officer of a court or, in some countries, a law clerk to a judge. The duties of the position vary from country to country.-History:...

North America

There are several town crier guildGuild

A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...

s in both CanadaCanada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by...

and the United States. Theses include the Ontario Guild of Town Criers, the Nova Scotia Criers' Guild and the American Guild of Town Criers.Since 1981, The Rocky Mountain Town Crier, presently based out of Calgary Alberta CANADA, has represented Invermere, British Columbia at Buckingham Palace & the Mansion House, Banff, Alberta at Banff, Scotland, Calgary, Alberta at Calgary, Scotland, and Airdire, Alberta at Airdrie, Scotland.

Australia

As of October 2010, the City of SydneyCity of Sydney

The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...

, City of HobartCity of Hobart

The City of Hobart is a Local Government Area of Tasmania, Australia. It is one of three local government areas covering the metropolitan area of the state capital, Hobart.-Government:...

, City of Greater GeelongCity of Greater Geelong

The City of Greater Geelong is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia.It is located in the western part of the state, south-west of Melbourne. It has an area of 1,240 square kilometres. In 2006 it had a population of 191,000...

, City of PortlandCity of Portland (Victoria)

The City of Portland was a Local Government Area located about west-southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1855 until 1994...

, City of IpswichCity of Ipswich

The City of Ipswich is a Local Government Area in South East Queensland, covering an area of along the coast about southwest of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. The City of Ipswich has a population of 162,380 .-History:...

, City of Gosford, City of SalisburyCity of Salisbury

The City of Salisbury is a local government area located on the northern fringes of Adelaide, South Australia. It has an estimated population of 130,022 people and encompasses an area of 158km². The council's main offices are situated in the Salisbury central business district.-Suburbs:-External...

, Gold Coast City and 22 other local councils have an official town crier.

New Zealand

As of October 2010, 15 cities have an official town crier.http://www.towncrier.co.nz/

Competitions and records

EuropeEurope

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an, Canadian, American. North American and AustraliaAustralia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...

n championships are held in alternating years with the World Championships. The current world champion is Chris Whyman, the town crier of Kingston, Ontario, CanadaKingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...

The best dressed town crier at the World Championships in 2008 was Daniel Richer dit La Flêche representing the cities of OttawaOttawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. Located in the Ottawa Valley, the city lies in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario on the Ottawa River, a major waterway forming the local boundary between the...

and GatineauGatineau

Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...

, in Canada. He also won the titles of Best Dressed International Town Crier at the BermudaBermuda

Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...

competition in 2009 and Best Dressed in North America. The Best Dressed Couple were Peter and Maureen Taunton from the county town of StaffordStafford

Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...

, England. They also won the title of Best Dressed Town Criers in Britain in 2008 at the AlnwickAlnwick

Alnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....

competition for the Loyal Company of Town Criers. They had been chosen the Best Dressed Criers at the National Town Crier Competition in HastingsHastings

Hastings is a town and Borough on the South coast of England, in East Sussex. It includes originally separate settlements such as Ore and Hollington, as well as the inevitable growth of the town through the building of new estates....

in 2007.

Peter Moore, the London Town Crier, held the position for more than 30 years. He was Town Crier to the Mayor of London, the City of WestminsterCity of Westminster

The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...

, and London boroughLondon borough

The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...

s, and was also a FreemanFreedom of the City

Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community; the term...

and LiverymanLiveryman

In Livery Companies within the City of London, a liveryman is a full member of the Company.Livery Company members fall into two categories: freemen and liverymen. One may join as a freeman, and acquire the "Freedom of the Company", upon fulfilling the Company's criteria...

of The City of LondonCity of London

The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City's boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...

. He died on 20 December 2009 and is yet to be succeeded.

Alan MyattAlan Myatt

Alan Myatt is a town crier who holds two Guinness World Records. As well as being the loudest crier, recording a cry of 112.8 decibels, he also set the record for vocal endurance, issuing a one-hundred word proclamation every 15 minutes for a period of 48 hours.He is a crier to commerce, industry...

holds two Guinness World Records. As well as being the loudest crier, recording a cry of 112.8 decibels, he also set the record for vocal endurance, issuing a one-hundred word proclamation every 15 minutes for a period of 48 hours.

Daniel Richer dit La Flêche, who is a member of the First NationsFirst Nations

First Nations is a term of ethnicity that refers to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...

Abenaki tribe, is a full-time bilingual town crier. Lloyd Smith, town crier for WindsorWindsor, Nova Scotia

Windsor is a small town located in Hants County, Mainland Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers. It is the largest community in western Hants County with a 2001 population of 3,779 and was at one time the shire town of the county. The region encompassing present day Windsor...

, Nova ScotiaNova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...

is the senior town crier in North AmericaNorth America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...

, with 31 years of service to his communities.

Eliza Mowe, Town Cryer for Barnoldswick, LancashireLancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

became the first female European town crying champion in 2007, retaining her title in the following year.

Martin Wood from the medieval town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire currently holds the record for being the worlds tallest Town Crier, standing at 7 in 2 in (2.18 m) He has been the Town Crier for 25 years and is the official body double for the character of Hagrid in the Harry PotterHarry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...

movies. He also appeared as the body double for the late Edward WoodwardEdward Woodward

Edward Albert Arthur Woodward OBE was an English stage and screen actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , Woodward began his career on stage, and throughout his career he appeared in productions in both the West End in London and on Broadway in New York...

in the 1984 movie, A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol...

, also set on location in the town of ShrewsburyShrewsbury

Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...

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