Ely City Council has appointed Matthew Routledge, their sales and events manager, to take the honorary role of town crier. His appointment was announced today to enable the city to continue its long-standing tradition of Ely having a town crier.
In Mid-October, the City of Ely Council agreed the appointment of a new town crier, a post that has been a point of pride for several decades.
“Though the office is purely ceremonial, the presence of a crier has been a fixture at the enormously successful and much-loved community events including Ely Eel Day and the Apple and Harvest Fayre,” said a city council spokesperson.
The decision to appoint Matthew followed the resignation of Cecilia De-Boer who had won a competition in 2022 to replace Avril Hayter-Smith who stepped down after serving in the role for 20 years.
The council spokesperson said: “The town crier was once an incredibly important part of daily life, delivering important information including acting as the spokesperson for the monarch, including the announcement of public holidays, declarations of war and the raising of taxes.
“The new office holder will continue with attendance at public events and civic celebrations, though there will be a delay in his delivering his first cry due to the need for new livery to be produced.
“It is hoped he will be appearing in public in the New Year.”
Matthew said of his appointment, “It is an enormous honour.
“To some, the idea of the town crier has become something old fashioned and redundant. “It’s true that I won’t, thankfully, be announcing any increase in taxation or criminal proceedings however the role has changed over the past century.
“It now offers a wonderfully curious piece of pageantry, a celebration of the rich traditions of the United Kingdom and one that I feel deeply privileged to undertake.”
Cllr Chris Phillips, Mayor of Ely said “I’m delighted to welcome Matthew to his new position as our town crier.
“He brings to the role a great knowledge of its origins and development and a keen sympathy for and understanding of its place in our city’s life. I am quite certain that he will be an enthusiastic and committed holder of the office.”
"It's a celebration of the rich connection that Ely holds with Eels"
Matthew Routledge from @visitely told That's TV about the heritage behind the Eel Day & Eel Festival, ahead of this year's 20th event. pic.twitter.com/AoZwdCV5sl
— That's TV West Anglia (@ThatsWestAnglia) April 18, 2024
Ahead of his appointment the council had advertised a competition explaining that the “ideal candidate would be one with a loud voice, have a creative flair to allow them to craft the perfect cries for events and must be available to attend key events in the city’s calendar”.
The selection process was advertised as consisting of an initial application, where the applicant would be asked to write a ‘cry’ of between 150-200 words on the theme of ‘Ely and the Harvest’ in the submission of an application form.
Cllr Phillips said: “Town criers have existed in England since the Middle Ages and at a time when most people were illiterate, and it was their job to inform townspeople of great events, local happenings, new laws or even details of executions!
“Their cry of ‘Oyez! Oyez!’ from the old French word for ‘listen’ would have been well known to our ancestors and their role important and much respected.
“Nowadays the job is not so formal a part of community life, but the crier’s ‘cry’ reminds of us of an important past and brings colour and excitement to modern-day events and formal occasions in our city.
“Appointing Ely’s new town crier is a significant event in our calendar and a day we can all relish and enjoy.”
