Town crier was a person appointed to make public announcements. The town crier was important in Europe, particularly in England, before newspapers were common, and was the “walking newspaper” of the American Colonies during the 1600’s. The crier sang out the latest news at every corner, and announced the time of town meetings and other events of public interest. The town crier largely disappeared when the printing press, newspaper, and other forms of communication came into general use after the 1750’s. Today, some British communities have a town crier.
