![]() ![]() "This would be a voluntary post and would not incur any cost to the Council or its residents. When Christchurch Town Council announced the reopening of the role, Mayor of Christchurch Councillor Sue Bungey said: “It has long been a hope of mine that during my Mayoral year I could reinstate the position of Town Crier to our ancient town. However, Christchurch has been without a town crier for many years following the death of the last town crier, Keith Jackman, in 2012. Today many towns still have a town crier, but their role is more ceremonial and acts as a visitor attraction. To harm a town crier was also an act of treason. However, according to Historic UK it was also their job to patrol the streets after dark, act as peace keepers and arrest people and take them to the stocks. ![]() Town criers have been around since medieval times and their original purpose was to make public announcements in the streets. Bite Sized Britain is not responsible for the content of these external websites.Bognor Regis town crier Jane Smith (Image: Lorna Rees) They are provided to give users access to additional information. ![]() Links to external websites are not maintained by Bite Sized Britain. Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers.The suggestion that the competition be judged with video recordings was rejected, on the grounds that 'not everyone is able to record a good-quality video'. The 2021 British Town Crier Championships, held by the Loyal Company of Town Criers, ironically had to take place in silence, with contenders judged on their 140-word written messages alone. ![]() Contenders are judged on ‘volume, diction, clarity and inflection’. A collective of practitioners who aim to ‘further the art and skill of town crying’. Both hold a range of competitions throughout the year. Two organisations exist to uphold, promote and preserve the role of the Town Crier. The Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers was founded in 1978 – with 138 Town Criers currently registered in England and Wales. The Loyal Company of Town Criers was formed in 1993. Chester is the one town in Britain to retain the tradition of regular Town Crier proclamations. During the 1990's, more cities and towns reinstated the post purely for ceremonial purposes. Town Criers were largely phased out in the early 20th Century – in part because of the growth of local newspapers and literacy rates increasing, and the position passed into local folklore and a few who continued the tradition. Bellmen would be paid for each proclamation they made. The key requirements of the role were the ability to read, a loud voice and an air of authority. This was a necessary safeguard as the town criers often had to announce unwelcome news such as tax increases. Anything they did was done in the name of the monarch, therefore to harm a town crier was an act of treason. Having read out his message, the town crier would then attach it to the door post of the local inn, so ‘posting a notice’, the reason why newspapers are often called ‘The Post’. The cry would end with the words, ‘God save the King’ or ‘God save the Queen’. It was an important role, because there was a high level of illiteracy, and people were dependent on the figure for news. Suitably dressed, he would ring a large hand bell to attract attention, before informing the townspeople of the latest news, proclamations and other information. In medieval England the town crier would begin announcements with a 'oyez oyez, oyez' cry, meaning 'hear ye'. For the first time this year, their annual competition has been revised to replace loud pronouncements with written declarations because of the pandemic restrictions. The town crier or bellman can be traced back at least to medieval times: two bellmen appear in the Bayeaux Tapestry, which depicts the 1066 Battle of Hastings. ![]()
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