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History of Town Criers
‘Town Criers were the original ‘newsmen’ finding their origins in the early Greek Mythology. In fact Stentor, a Herald of the Greek Forces during the Trojan War, was said to have the voice of 50 men and some men with a loud voice may be known as having a voice of a Stentorian. Town Criers in Britain are thought to have…
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They are also in North America
‘There have been town criers in North America ever since Europeans have been coming to the continent. There are records throughout the 16th century of town criers in Mexico, Peru, and Panama. During the 1830s and 40s Halifax, Nova Scotia had as many as four in the city. All through the American Colonies and beyond, such as…
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Town Criers Yesterday
Tiffi does not understand why there are town criers today when anyone can go on the Internet and read the news. ‘We live in an age of widespread literacy. When we want to know what’s happening in the world around us, we click hyperlinks and sometimes crack open a newspaper. However, for most of human history, the vast…
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The beginning and end of a town crier’s message
‘“Oyez, oyez, oyez!” This is the call or cry of the town crier, now usually only heard at ceremonials, fetes and local events. It would however have been a common cry on the streets of medieval England. ‘Oyez’ (pronounced ‘oh yay’) comes from the French ouïr (‘to listen’) and means “Hear ye”. The town crier would begin his…
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Modern town criers
‘When the need for a town crier disappeared, the position passed into local folklore. Informal and later formal town crier competitions were held from the early 20th century. Subsequently, some cities and towns reinstated the post purely for ceremonial purposes. Many local councils in England and Wales reinstated the post…
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Competitions and records
“European, Canadian, American, North American and Australian championships are held in alternating years with the World Championships. The best dressed town crier at the World Championships in 2008 was Daniel Richer dit La Flêche representing the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau, in Canada. In 2001, Alan Myatt held the…
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Five facts worth knowing about town crying
1.- While town criers today are mainly ceremonial announcers, in the past they were an essential and trustworthy source of information. From royal proclamations to local news, for centuries, townspeople would hear them proclaimed by a crier or bellman. 2.- It really wasn’t a good idea to shoot the messenger when you didn’t…
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Interview with Michael Wood, town crier
‘We asked for you! But what is it like to be a town crier in modern times? I asked Michael Wood, three-times world champion and Britain’s loudest town crier, who has been in the service of East Riding of Yorkshire Council for 14 years. Tell us how you became a town crier - In 1996, The East Riding of Yorkshire Council…
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Interview with James Stewart
‘James Stewart is one of the most recognizable faces of Nova Scotia. As the official town crier of New Glasgow, he is part presenter, part historian, and part global ambassador. He’s also the man that delivers Boston’s Christmas tree most years. In this interview, we talk with James about what it’s like to be one of only…
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James Stewart comes in second in an international town crier competition
‘The cries were judged on volume, clarity, the choice of words and their inflection, while the criers were judged on how they looked in their uniforms, their bearing and confidence. They were also judged on the content of the cries. Stewart, who was one of 25 competitors from around the world, said the competition was…
