A small group of history buffs and museum enthusiasts gathered outside the Ypres ower on the morning of a wet and windy Thursday February 24 to hear Paul Goring, Town Crier of Rye, giving a fine shout on behalf of Edwin Hollis Pulford and the museum.
This is part of the cry this morning
“Oyez, Oyez Oyez! Be it known …. It is 123 years since this bell was last heard on the streets of Rye. It is the bell of Edwin Hollis Pulford, Town Crier of Rye 1877-1899, and as his distant successor as Town Crier, I feel privileged to make it sing again today! Edwin served Rye diligently for twenty-two years as both Crier and Town Seargent. On his death, he was described by the then Mayor as ‘an old and faithful servant of the Corporation.’”
Edwin Hollis Pulford was one of Rye’s longest-standing Sergeants-at-Mace, Town Criers and Keepers of the Town Hall, serving the town from 1877 to 1899. He was born in 1823, probably in one of the cottages around the Landgate, to an old Rye sea-faring family and made his living as a ship’s cook and later a shoemaker.
Recently, his grand-nephew, John Pulford, donated many of his uncle’s effects to Rye Museum, including his original bell. Rye’s current Crier, Paul Goring, agreed to do a special “shout” for the museum, using Pulford’s bell.
The bell will now go on permanent display on the upper floor of the Tower, next to the Rye Bank blunderbuss. You can come see the Rye Castle/Ypres Tower any day between 10:30pm and 3pm. The Museum at 3 East Street will be opening for the 2022 season on April 2, to run at weekends through October.
Image Credits: kt Bruce .
Sarah Cooper from the Rye Museum co-wrote the article with me
Thank you Sarah
It was great to see Edwin’s bell yesterday at the museum. I’ve been researching my Rye family history and it turns out that Edwin is my ancestor 2nd cousin ( x6). His great granduncle George Pulford was my great grandfather x6. He and his first wife Elizabeth Hemmings were members of the early Rye Baptist church in the 1700s. Elizabeth sadly died aged 34, in 1775 and is buried in the old Baptist Burial ground nr the Hope Anchor Inn. George sadly was lost at sea in 1780, in a violent storm. He was a merchant sea captain and owner of at least two ships, that carried goods for Rye’s merchants such asThomas Lamb. I’ve been visiting Rye for decades (I live in Hove), but only recently discovered the rich Rye history of my forebears.