Along with most people, I though “Big Ben” referred to the clock on the tall tower attached to Westminster Palace in London. It does not. Big Ben is the name of the bell inside the tower. The current bell was cast in 1858, as a replacement for the original which cracked during testing. The Times of London in October 1859 reported that the new bell would be named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the President of the Board of Works at the time. Sir Benjamin was rather rotund, as is the bell, so his name was inscribed on the bell, and the rest is, well, you know, history. So, I’m walking around Westminster Palace, which is where the British Parliament has its chambers, not to be confused with Westminster Abbey, the church next door. I had read
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