287:. A large and ponderous man known affectionately in the House as "Big Ben", he is said to have given an impressively long speech on the subject. When, at the end of this oratorical marathon, Sir Benjamin sank back into his seat, a wag in the chamber shouted out: "Why not call him Big Ben and have done with it?" The house erupted in laughter; Big Ben had been named. This, at least, is the most commonly accepted story. However, according to the booklet written for the old Ministry of Works by Alan Phillips (1959):
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terrific battles with
Bendigo, and who in 1857 lasted sixty rounds of a drawn contest in his final appearance at the age of 42. As Caunt at one period scaled 17 stone (238 lbs, or 108 kilogrammes), his nickname was Big Ben, and that was readily bestowed by the populace on any object the heaviest of its class. So the anonymous MP may have snatched at what was already a catchphrase.
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Like other nice stories, this has no documentary support; Hansard failed to record the interjection. The Times had been alluding to 'Big Ben of
Westminster' since 1856. Probably, the derivation must be sought more remotely. The current champion of the prize ring was Benjamin Caunt, who had fought
155:, England. Caunt stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 18 stone. He was said to be strong, durable, and willing yet also slow and clumsy. His early boxing career is not well known, but he did defeat several minor local opponents at the age of 18.
368:
233:, with a disputable decision after 93 rounds where it was alleged that Caunt went down without a blow striking him. Caunt denied this accusation and announced his retirement, only to return for a final attempt at the heavyweight crown 12 years later.
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On 3 April 1838, Caunt again fought
William Thompson on Skipworth Common, and after 76 rounds Thompson was disqualified for going down without being struck; Caunt claimed the Heavyweight Championship of England but this was not generally accepted.
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for the
Heavyweight Championship of England where the crowd forced the referee to disqualify Caunt for an alleged blow striking Ward while he was down.
283:, is named after this English heavyweight champion. The origin of the name is contested with Westminster's Chief Lord of the Woods and Forests,
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On 17 August 1837, Caunt fought and beat
William Butler at Stoneyford in Derbyshire, and on 4 November Bill Boniford at Sunrise Hill.
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to a world championship bout, but Hyer never replied. Caunt returned to
England on 10 March 1842 with the "American Giant"
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on 10 September 1861 at an address in St Martin's Lane in London. He is buried outside the north transept of the
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In 1845 he was challenged for the
English heavyweight title by William Thompson. On 9 September Caunt lost at
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On 24 June of the same year, Caunt was scheduled to again fight
William Thompson but the bout was cancelled.
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Between 1845 and 1851, Caunt worked as farm labourer and then became the landlord of the Coach and Horses
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to become the
Heavyweight Champion of England. On 10 September 1841 Caunt sailed to America to challenge
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and was disqualified for an alleged foul striking
Thompson while he was sitting in his corner.
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in Hucknall close to the grave of his two children who died in the Coach and Horses fire.
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Caunt avenged this defeat on 11 May of the same year, defeating Ward in 35 rounds at
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In his final fight on 21 September 1857, Caunt fought Nat Langham at
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Memorial to Ben Caunt in St Mary Magdalene churchyard, Hucknall
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128:(22 March 1815 – 10 September 1861) was a 19th-century English
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338:"Could Big Ben lose out in Diamond Jubilee name change?"
323:
Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 09
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champion known as the "Torkard Giant" and "Big Ben".
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Burials at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Hucknall
428:. Ministry of Works: Her Majesty's Stationery Office
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369:"Ashfield District Council: 'Big' Ben Caunt"
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107:18 st (250 lb; 110 kg)
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184:On 26 October 1840, Caunt defeated
147:Caunt was born on 22 March 1815 in
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394:Walker, James (23 December 2014).
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270:Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene
163:In 1834 he beat George Graham (of
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237:Retirement and attempted comeback
195:On 2 February 1841, Caunt fought
115:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
479:Deaths from pneumonia in England
167:). On 21 July 1835, Caunt boxed
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321:Boase, George Clement (1887).
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469:English bare-knuckle boxers
464:19th-century English people
336:Hess, John (27 July 2012).
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484:Sportspeople from Hucknall
169:William "Bendigo" Thompson
59:, Nottinghamshire, England
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426:Whitechapel Bell Foundry
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420:Phillips, Alan (1959).
422:"The Story of Big Ben"
396:"LeftLion - Ben Caunt"
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90:Torkard Giant, Big Ben
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281:Palace of Westminster
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37:, by unknown engraver
325:. pp. 331, 332.
474:English male boxers
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130:bare-knuckle boxer
285:Sir Benjamin Hall
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68:10 September 1861
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371:. Archived from
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275:It is said that
260:Death and legacy
247:St Martin's Lane
149:Hucknall Torkard
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87:Other names
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57:Hucknall Torkard
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375:on 13 June 2011
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231:Stony Stratford
216:Charles Freeman
201:Crookham Common
192:in 101 rounds.
190:Six Mile Bottom
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153:Nottinghamshire
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132:who became the
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264:Caunt died of
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72:(aged 46)
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299:Alan Phillips
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159:Boxing career
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53:22 March 1815
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430:. Retrieved
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403:. Retrieved
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377:. Retrieved
373:the original
346:. Retrieved
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254:Home Circuit
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208:Long Marston
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186:Bill Brassey
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165:Lincolnshire
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70:(1861-09-10)
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459:1861 deaths
454:1815 births
432:25 December
405:25 December
134:heavyweight
77:Nationality
448:Categories
348:1 February
305:References
143:Early life
96:Statistics
49:1815-03-22
266:pneumonia
197:Nick Ward
126:Ben Caunt
103:Weight(s)
35:Ben Caunt
22:Ben Caunt
400:LeftLion
342:BBC News
297:—
212:Tom Hyer
379:17 July
277:Big Ben
81:English
137:boxing
112:Height
344:. BBC
151:, in
434:2018
407:2018
381:2017
350:2013
65:Died
43:Born
245:at
243:pub
199:on
188:at
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358:^
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313:^
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47:(
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