History of Town Crying

Every civilization has had its official messenger or voice of the authority. In the European tradition, royalty and high ranking officials, such as Lords of Manors had Heralds who proclaimed their commands. When the feudal system eventually allowed for the formation of communities of common folk, it became necessary for messages to be conveyed to the mostly illiterate masses by extension of the chain of command. Therefore, lower ranking messengers, who reported to the local authority, were taken on by the towns and villages and became known as Town Criers. The Town Crier was the newsman, reading the proclamations, news and even advertisements to all in the village square and at other vantage points in the community. It is most likely that the European history of heraldry dates back to the Ancient Greeks. The reference to the Herald Angels in the Bible, which was translated from the Greek, would support this theory. However, it is known that, with the defeat of the Saxon, Harold, by William the Conqueror (or William the Bastard, as the Normans knew him) at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Norman system of government brought with it the Heralds and Town Criers. Criers were regularly used after this by the ruling King or Queen to inform all the citizens of their orders and decrees. To this day old English law still protects Criers from being Hindered or Heckled whilst carrying out their duties.

A Little known fact is that the term "Posting A Notice" actually 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 or Tavern, so that it could be read by the few who were not illiterate.

For the most part the citizens of the towns relied on the crier for the latest information, be it good or bad news. These could include Famine, War, Feast, Taxation Changes, etc. Remember there was no radio or TV in olden Days!

Criers were not always men. Many Town Criers were women. Bells were not the only attention getting device. In Holland a Gong was the instrument of choice for many, and in France they used a Drum, or a Hunting Horn.

Criers where often old military veterans who could read and write but who had fallen on hard times. The position of Town Crier gave them employment and a pension rather than turning to a life of crime, as so often happened to the veterans in days gone by.

The position of Town Crier has often been passed from one generation to the next.

OYEZ! OYEZ! OYEZ!
The origin of the word OYEZ is Middle English, from the Anglo-Norman, hear ye, imperative plural of oyer, to hear, from Latin audire.

The history of OYEZ is illuminating. "Hearing the cry 'Oyez Oyez Oyez' in a courtroom may have puzzled more than one auditor, especially if pronounced 'o yes.' This cry serves to remind us that up until the 18th century, speaking English in a British court of law was not required and that one could use Law French, a form of French that evolved after the Norman Conquest, when Anglo-Norman became the language of the official class in England. Oyez descends from the Anglo-Norman oyez, the plural imperative of oyer, 'to hear'; thus oyez means 'hear ye' and was used as a call for silence and attention. Although it would have been much heard in Medieval England, it is first recorded as an English word fairly late in the Middle English period, in a work composed around 1425."

source: American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language