28th September 2023:

Our first open meeting of the 2023-24 season was well attended and all those present enjoyed a very interesting talk from Phylip de la Maziere, who is the Town Crier for Lanark.

Phylip explained that although people often think of town criers as English, rather than Scottish, in fact there used to be town criers across Scotland as well as across England. A Town Crier is not the same thing as a ‘Bellman’ - the Bellman used to call out the time, for instance “it’s 4 o’clock and alls well” before most people had clocks. A Town Crier’s main job was to tell people the news on behalf of the King, but he also had a wide range of other duties, acting as the Provost’s right hand man - for instance checking that produce at market was of good quality, raising a hue and cry to apprehend criminals, holding auctions and even acting as executioner or town flogger.

Phylip told us some very interesting stories about his time as Town Crier and showed us his Lochaber Axe, which traditionally was carried by both Bellman and Town Crier for defence, but also as a useful tool, for instance for pulling thatch off a burning building when necessary.