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.”
