In medieval England, town criers were the chief means of news communication with the townspeople, since many were illiterate in a period before the moveable type was invented.
Peter Moore, the Town Crier to the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority. In order to gain the attention of the crowd, the crier would yell, "Hear ye" – " Oyez". In the observance of Allhallowtide, "it was customary for criers dressed in black to parade the streets, ringing a bell of mournful sound and calling on all good Christians to remember the poor souls." Britain Bells were not the only attention-getting device-in the Netherlands, a gong was the instrument of choice for many, and in France a drum was used, or a hunting horn. Ĭriers were not always men, many town criers were women. In Goslar, Germany, a crier was employed to remind the local populace not to urinate or defecate in the river the day before water was drawn for brewing beer. In ancient Rome, they typically proclaimed public business during the market days that formed a kind of weekend every eight days. Proclamations, local bylaws, market days, adverts, were all proclaimed by a bellman or crier. Prior to widespread literacy, town criers were the means of communication with the people of the town since many people could not read or write. The proclamations book in Chester from the early 19th century records this as "O Yes, O Yes!" Oyez derives from the Anglo-Norman word for listen (modern French, oyez, infinitive, ouïr, but has been largely replaced by the verb écouter). The word "Oyez" means "hear ye," which is a call for silence and attention. 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. Criers often dress elaborately, by a tradition dating to the 18th century, in a red and gold coat, white breeches, black boots and a tricorne hat. The town crier was used to make public announcements in the streets. JSTOR ( March 2015) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ī town crier, also called a bellman, is an officer of a royal court or public authority who makes public pronouncements as required.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.
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