A potted history of the Town Crier
By Colin Ballard
From medieval times and all across the world a messenger has been sent out to give
information to the masses.
In Britain Kings, Queens and Lords of the Manor have required to give messages to the public
who were, predominantly, unable to read.
In order to deliver those messages they sent out ‘The bell man’. As in the name, he went around
the area ringing his bell and shouting the message.
He must have been fairly well educated in order to read, if not also to write the information that
he read.
As the role developed he took to wearing a ‘bright’ uniform in order to ‘be seen as well as heard’.
Since every town had a bellman and he ‘cried’ the news the name changed, over time, to
become what we now know as ‘The Town Crier’.
His role was quasi-judicial in that he could arrest people who didn’t comply with his details and
instructions.
Not all of the news was good or well received – he was often abused by people throwing fruit
and vegetables and even, in extreme cases, shot!
That is where the well known phrase ‘Don’t shoot the messenger’ came from.
The position is ‘safeguarded’ today by statute in that it is treasonable, on penalty of death, to
abuse the town crier!!
Following delivery of the message the ‘town crier’ would nail the written document he had read
to a door post, usually by the public house, for those educated people who could read.
This became known as ‘posting a notice’ and was the pre-cursor to the newspaper.
Newspapers took their names from this historic practice and called themselves ‘daily post’,
‘evening post’ or ‘weekly post’.
The uniform carries significant elements of its historic roots.
The feathers reflect the quills that would have written the information.
The jabot (fancy collar) and cuffs reflect the judicial role of a magistrate or judge.
The tricorne hat pays homage to the Christian faith of Father, Son and Holy Spirit – as does the
significance of three rings and three cries of ‘Oyez’.
‘Oyez’ is from the French for ‘hear ye’ and used at the opening of courts on the continent and in
America today.
The coat colours are usually reflective of a Victorian ‘mayoral style’ with colours from the area
and badges depicting the coats of arms from that area along with emblems of significance.
My coat carries the badge for The Manor of Lytham, the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town
Criers emblem but awaits the new badge of St Anne’s on Sea.
To celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee I wear The Ancient and
Honourable Guild Jubilee medal around my neck.
The scroll that I read from reflects an ancient scroll type that would have been ‘posted’.
I wear clogs to reflect traditional Lancashire footwear.
I have had the bell engraved with the names Eddie Bowkett, who was the most recent of town
criers here at Lytham, until he retired in 2001.
My name appears next and the space left is for successors.
It is a privilege to be the town crier and I am proud to represent and proclaim the news for the
Fylde area in general.
God save the Queen, Duke of Lancaster.