Beetty Dick (1693-1773) was an elderly
town crier
A town crier, also called a bellman, is an officer of a royal court or public authority who makes public pronouncements as required.
Duties and functions
The town crier was used to make public announcements in the streets. Criers often dress ...
for
Dalkeith
Dalkeith ( ; gd, Dail Cheith, IPA: ˆt̪alˈçe is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540. The settlement of Dalkeith grew southwestwards from its 12th-cent ...
a town in
Midlothian
Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...
Scotland in the mid 18th Century.
Instead of using a bell, Dick would beat a wooden plate with a spoon making a loud din to draw attention to announcements, working for just a penny per announcement. Dick was known for wearing a distinctive long gown, cap and cloak. Dick never married and died in 1773, her remains were interred at the east side of the old Churchyard, Dalkeith.
Dick was drawn by artist
John Kay in his published work 'A series of original portraits' and the portrait hangs in an exhibition in a collection at the Dalkeith Museum.
[{{Cite web, title=Historical etched portraits by Dalkeith artist return home for exhibition, url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/historical-etched-portraits-by-dalkeith-artist-return-home-for-exhibition-3370474, access-date=2022-02-25, website=www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com, language=en]
References
Town criers
Street culture