The Voice of the Law: The Town Crier as an Agent of State Communication in Early Modern Europe

Town criers were ubiquitous civic officials in early modern Europe. Their voices contributed to a continuous cycle of noise that informed, regulated and shaped urban life. Formally representing political authorities via the proclamation of the law, criers also served as agents of the public by announcing commercial or personal news. This article provides the first European-wide survey of the early modern town crier, drawing on archival evidence from across the continent. It argues that the growing use of paper and print in this period did not diminish the importance of orality in state communication but in fact led to a greater reliance on criers by authorities. By charting the duties, privileges and activities of town criers, the article demonstrates how there were striking similarities, as well as key differences, in their role throughout Europe; and that crying was not an uncomplicated political and social practice, but often produced tensions and conflict. Framing the town crier as a crucial actor in the process of state communication helps to shed new light on the importance of orality in early modern legal and political cultures, and on the role of this urban professional in strengthening the bond between rulers and ruled.