Results: The History of News and Communications *** Part Three *** Paper as we know it, was invented in China, AD 105, by the Chinese Eunuch Ts'ai Lun. It was, thin, feted, formed, flat made in porous molds from macerated vegetable fiber.

Before the 3rd century AD, the first paper was made of disintegrating cloth- bark of trees and vegetation such as mulberry, hemp, china grass. Paper was used in China from AD 868, for engraving religious pictures and reached its height of in 1634 with the wooden block prints made popular by Sung Ying-hsing. The technology of making paper moved from China to Japan and then to Korea in AD 610 where it was commonly made from mulberry bark and Gampi. Later it was made from bamboo and rice straw. Have you ever made paper by hand?

Marco Polo gave one of the first descriptions of Chinese papermaking in his 'Milione'. He mentions that the Chinese emperors jealously guard the secrets of papermaking and that fine paper is manufactured from vegetable fiber: rice or tea straw, bamboo canes and hemp rag cloth. Chinese paper made from bark and the fibers of rags and hemp may have traveled on caravans following the Gobi Desert, the Desert of Takla Makan and the Tarim Valley and finally arrived in Samarkan. But papermaking was a closely guarded secret and it was not actually made there until after 751 AD. In 751 the Chinese lost a battle in Turkistan on the banks of the Tharaz River. It was recorded that among the Chinese prisoners were skilled papermakers. The craftsmen began making paper in Samarkan. Samarkan was a good place to make paper because it had an abundant supply of hemp and flax and pure water. Today Samarkand, also known as Samarqand, is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia. Were you aware of this famous city?

Papermaking then spread to Damascus and to Egypt and Morocco. It took 500 years to find its way to Europe. By the end of the 10th century, paper had replaced parchment and papyrus in the Arab world. The is a comparatively large number of early Arabic manuscripts. on paper dating from the 9th century. The material of the Arab paper was apparently substantially linen. It seems that the Arabs, and the skilled Persian workmen whom they employed, at once resorted to flax, which grows abundantly in Khorasan, as their principal material, afterwards also making use of rags, supplemented, as the demand grew, with any vegetable fibre that would serve; cotton, if used at all, was used very sparingly. Paper of Oriental manufacture in the Middle Ages can be distinguished by its stout substance and glossy surface, and was devoid of water-marks. In Europe they began to make paper from cotton rag content. Have you ever seen hand made paper?

The town crier, now usually only heard at ceremonials, fetes and local events. It would however have been a common cry on the streets of medieval England. also called a bellman, is an officer of a royal court or public authority who makes public pronouncements as required. 'Oyez' (pronounced 'oh yay') comes from the French ouïr ('to listen') and means "Hear ye". The town crier would begin his cry with these words, accompanied by the ringing of a large hand bell to attract attention. It was the job of the crier or bellman to inform the townspeople of the latest news, proclamations, bylaws and any other important information, as at this time most folk were illiterate and could not read. Having read out his message, the town crier would then attach it to the door post of the local inn, so 'posting a notice.' This is the reason newspapers are often called 'The Post'. Posting information started with Town Criers. Have you every thought of yourself as a town crier when you post something on-line?

Proclaiming the news was not however their only role: indeed, their original role was to patrol the streets after dark, acting as peace keepers, arresting miscreants and taking them to the stocks for punishment and posting their crimes to show why they were there. It was also his job to make sure fires were damped down for the night after the curfew bell. It was also the role of the town crier at public hangings to read out why the person was being hanged, and then to help cut him or her down. The key requirements of the role were the ability to read, a loud voice and an air of authority. Bellmen would be paid for each proclamation they made: in the 18th century the rate was between 2d and 4d per cry. (1d was a shilling or 12 cents) Town criers were protected by law. Anything they did was done in the name of the monarch, therefore to harm a town crier was an act of treason. This was a necessary safeguard as the town criers often had to announce unwelcome news such as tax increases!

The town crier or bellman can be traced back at least to medieval times: two bellmen appear in the Bayeaux Tapestry, which depicts the invasion of England by William of Normandy and the Battle of Hastings in 1066.Today's town criers are dressed to impress in a red and gold coat, breeches, boots and a tricorne hat, a tradition that dates back to the 18th century. You can find them at local fetes, events and at town crier competitions. Chester is the only place in Britain where you can hear the town crier regularly. You will find the crier at High Cross at midday (11am on race days) every Tuesday to Saturday between June and August. Proclamations have been read at the High Cross in Chester since the Middle Ages. Today in France there are Town Criers in Villages that read out messages submitted by local citizens. Sadly the Video was blocked. Did you know, when a group of town criers get together, for example for a competition, it is known as a 'a bellow of criers'?

Part Four will reveal the many forms of communicating to the public, tapestries, stained glass windows and significant documents. In the 10 things, did you notice the two Bellmen above the loyal dog in (8)?