Hear ye … hear ye ...

_Elsa_

One day Tiffi is at her father’s store when she hears someone outside shouting hear ye … hear ye…. 

Then she hears the sound of a bell ringing with another hear ye … hear ye …. 

She’s wondering who could be shouting that. Mr. Toffee has heard it too so both of them go outside to find out what’s going on.

Hear ye …. Hear ye …. on July 12th we will be celebrating International Town Criers Day!

Of course, our curious little Tiffi needs to find out what this person is talking about so she walks up to him.

“Excuse me sir,” says Tiffi. “What is International Town Criers Day? Why are you shouting and what’s the purpose of the bell?”

The town crier sees Tiffi so he stops shouting to answer her questions. 

“Well I am a town crier and I’ve just come to town,” he says. “I want everyone in town to learn more about what I do. Would you like to learn more about this?”

What a silly question to ask our Tiffi! Of course she does!  Mr. Toffee has to go back inside because a customer just walked into the store. Tiffi makes herself comfortable and she can’t wait to hear more about this.

‘A town crier is a person who is employed by a town council to make public announcements in the streets. The crier can also be used in court or official announcements. Criers often dress elaborately, a tradition known from the 18th century, in a red and gold robe, white breeches, black boots and a tricorne hat.

They carry a handbell to make a loud noise and they shout the words "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!" before making their announcements. The word "Oyez" means "hear ye," which is a call for silence and attention. Oyez is from an Anglo-Norman word for listen. Some town criers announcements are recorded in books called a Proclamation Book The proclamations book in Chester from the early 19th century records the town criers call as "O Yes, O Yes!"

In Medieval England, town criers were the most important way of spreading news with the people of a town. Many could not read newspapers. Royal proclamations, local bylaws, market days, advertisements and even selling loaves of sugar were all proclaimed by a bellman or town crier for centuries. During Christmas 1798, the Chester Canal Company sold some sugar that was damaged in their packet boat and this was advertised by the town crier.

Town criers were protected by royalty, as they sometimes brought bad news such as tax increases. To this day, any town crier in the British Commonwealth is protected under old English law that they are "not to be hindered or heckled while performing their duties". To injure or harm a town crier was seen as an act of treason against the ruling monarchy. 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.’ (Source)

Now Tiffi is fascinated with this and she asks him if he can share how town criers came about.

Let’s continue - History of Town Criers