The City Council has appointed Matthew Routledge to the honorary office of Town
Crier, continuing a 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’s Eel Day and the Apple and Harvest
Fayre.
After the resignation of the previous office holder, the City Council decided to seek out a
new Town Crier and decided to appoint Matthew Routledge to the role. 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 Routledge 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.”
Chris Phillips, Mayor of the City 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.”
Image Included – Mayor Cllr Chris Phillips stands with Matthew Routledge, Town Crier,
outside of Oliver Cromwell’s House.
