The Town Criers

 

 In the town there lived together, for many years, in a celibate establishment two old men, father and son, old Simon and young Simon.  Between them they carried on a singular occupation – that of making clogs, patterns and wooden hay makers.  Clogs were made of wood, fitted with straps, and were worn by women folk to keep their feet dry in rainy weather.  Patterns were similar, but were mounted on iron frames which raised the feet of the wearers some two inches above ground.  A later account of our muddy roads explains the necessity for such appliances.

These old men also acted in a public capacity, they were our official town criers.

I cannot say by whom, or by what authority this offices was conferred; our only corporate bodies being the Board of Guardians and the church vestry meetings, But the old men jealously guarded their prerogative which was never infringed by any unauthorised intruder.  Their announcements were made in a form which never varied;-First three jangles from a cracked handbell, then the words ;’Oh yes! Oh yes! Oh Yes! This is to give notice’  Then followed the subject matter which was always concluded by the loyal sentiment ‘God save the Queen’ and a final flourish of three of by the bell, after which the herald would tuck the bell under his arm and amble away to his next pitch.

Although these cries rarely concerned any more important subject than a small auction sale, or some lost article or strayed animal,   Yet at the first sound of the well known bell our housewives would leave their cooking, cleaning, or other avocations and rush incontinently to crane their heads, from door or window, hand to ear so as to lose no word of that feeble voice.

On one occasion only, from some unknown cause, was an outsider delegated, authorised and empowered to bear the official handbell   This deputy ‘armed with a little brief authority’ was a local personage, not celebrated for sobriety of life or conduct, indeed on this occasion there were indications that he had dissipated his fee (one shilling) in advance.  The invariable attire of his upper man was a smock frock, once blue but now sadly faded and soiled.  Surmounting all was a tall beaver hat bearing marks of past vicissitudes which had left bald patches a month the once luxuriant foliage of this headgear.

On reaching the ancient pyramid known as run old town cross the deputy climbed laboriously until he tottered and swayed on its summit.  On that perilous altitude he delivered the necessary proclamation in ancient form.  But as he essayed the final peal of the bell he sat back slowly on the empty air and then somersaulted bump by bump to the ground;  his bell following hard after with a doleful noise.  The onlookers expected broken bones at least, but no!” He retrieved his instrument from one direction, his beaver from another and after meticulously brushing the latter with his coat sleeve he reeled away to finish his round. 

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