Why is big ben in london called big ben?

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swamp elf

The bell was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, Chief Lord of Woods and Forests, in aprox May 1858, because he made a grand speech about the bell.

Jacky

Big Ben is the name of the bell in the clock and not the clock or the tower itself. It is old tradition to give church bells etc. names. The tower is called St.George's Clock tower, or Westminster Clocktower

beanco

Big Ben is the name of the bell. People think its the name of the clock.

banjo booee

It's the name of the bell inside

ma1lad

OK... let's get this straight!!!

The name of the Clock Tower at Westminster in London is called 'St Stephens Tower'. The main bell contained within it is called Big Ben.

thomasrobinsonantonio

Give the points to David at the end of the answers: He is correct.
However, my pennies worth: the Bell was cast in a foundry which still exists down Whitechapel and it is a fascinating place to visit. Still working and very old fashioned. They still cast the bells the old fashioned way - in a mixture of very fine sand, which is reused over and over and the addition of horse manure binds it together. The works is not far from Gardiners Corner, Aldgate East Station.

BIG BEN IS THE BELL NOT THE CLOCK.

david f

14 answers so far and only one got it right (sort of) - 'For America'.
It is indeed named after Sir Benjamin Hall - but I'm afraid he wasn't the 'The Chief Lord of Woods and Forests'(!!!) - but merely the Commisioner Of Works - and he ordered the casting of the bell.

rage997

"Big Ben is the colloquial name of the Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster, in London, England. It actually refers to the main bell, which is also known as the Great Bell of Westminster, the largest bell in the tower and part of the The Great Westminster Clock."

Many Americans think it's just a clock tower. It is actually one of the two towers of the UK's parliament, the Palace of Westminster.

See pic.

taxed till i die,

Big ben is the name of one of the bells,mainly because it is BIG

hahahahahahaha

its the bell name after the designer not the clock

jonahbeast

There are a few theories on how it got the name. Check out this website to see some of them. http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/big-ben/features/how-did-big-ben-get-its-name

carmel_andrews

the bell itself was made in the whitechapel foundry, which still exists today, they also designed and constructed the very famous 'bow bells' off Cheapside (as in 'born within the sound of bow bells')

celtictygerenchantress

It is called it because the bell is called big ben.

taxi

I think its pretty obvious to why it called big, don't know why its called Ben though.

whitecloud

you should have seen the man that built it hehehehe

Bored and annoyed

A FAT GUY NAMED BEN BUILT IT

glassnegman

Hello =)

Because "Little Richard" was already taken.....

Namaste, and Happy New Year,

--Tom

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