Bridport Town Criers & Bill Posters

Bridport Town Criers

1804 / 06, then 1812, and 1818 Edward PATTERN - listed in Cooksley's booklet but nothing more found about him. Pattern is not a Bridport name.

1807 and 1817 - maybe John ORCHARD born at Bridport in 1763 son of Richard and Elizabeth ORCHARD. Married Hannah NURSE at Bridport in February 1792 and died at Bridport in January 1842.

1826 and 1830 and 1855 - Maybe James LISCOMBE born at Bradpole in 1778 son of Henry and Mary Liscombe. Married Frances SPENCER at Long Bredy in 1802. He worked as a market gardener and died at Bridport in 1862 aged 83. The City Directory of 1855 says James Liscombe was Town Crier living at East St. I thought it maybe his son James born 1809, but found he had died at Poole in Sept. 1848.

1859 - 1903 Thomas TAYLOR (also called PATTERN after his mother Elizabeth Pattern) born about 1825 in Bridport. Married Caroline WILLIAMS at Bridport in 1847 and worked variously as a fishmonger, coal carrier and newsagent - later Town Crier. He died at Allington in 1904 and his Probate in n/o Pattern confirms his role as Town Crier.

1901 - 1915 Andrew SPILLER born at Netherbury in 1856 son of Robert a farm labourer and his wife Mary Ann. Married Emma Jane STEVENS in 1877 and after she died in 1904 he married Maria JARVIS at Bridport in 1906. He worked as a petrol seller, grocer and beer retailer. The City and County Directory for 1895 has him listed as a bill poster at 70 West Street - the latter role often also associated with Town Crier. He died at Bridport in 1944.

1918 - 1924 William R WELCH born at Broadwindsor in 1872 son of Henry a carpenter and his wife Ellen. Married Emma Jane SMITH at Bridport in 1891, and he worked as an oil dealer and later newsagent. He died at Bridport in October 1924.

1925 - 1970's ? Frederick WELCH born at Bridport in 1896 son of William and Emma above. Married Lottie PITMAN at Whitchurch Canonicorum in July 1918 and later appears to have married Marie BATES in Kensington in 1928. Was a special constable and Town Crier in the 1939 pre war census. He was buried at Walditch in August 1978 aged 82.

1970's - ? Peter Eric FOOTE - born at Bridport in July 1938 son of Frederick Foote (a lathe operator in 1939) and his wife Constance - married Josephine HAMMOND at Bournemouth in December 1961. He died at Bridport in October 1986

1985 - 1995 Harry Stanley POOLE - born at Cardiff in 1923 son of Stanley S Poole - married Barbara R BAGGETT at Bridport in 1951 and Harry was a farm worker in the 1939 pre war census. He died at Bridport in May 2010.

1996 - 2006 John William MOREY - born at Bridport in January 1938 but have not found his parents. He married Carol P. RENDELL at Bridport in July 1961.

2006 - 2015 Jane SILVER-CORDEN

2015 - 2023 John COLLINGWOOD

Bridport Bill Posters

1891 - 1895 John Rumley NEWMAN born at Allington, Bridport in 1840, son of Charles a carpenter and Elizabeth Newman. Married Jemima Murless at Bridport in 1863, and in 1871 and 1881 was a beer seller and publican. The census of 1891 lists him as Bill Poster but just a labourer in 1901, before he died at Bridport in 1906.