Baron Edmund Beckett Grimthorpe

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Baron Edmund Beckett Grimthorpe

1816–1905

Best remembered for his work on the clock and bells at the Palace of Westminster, this Victorian lawyer and engineer left a loud mark on British public life. He also wrote practical books on clockmaking and became a prominent, often controversial, voice in architecture and church restoration.

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About the author

Born in 1816, Baron Edmund Beckett Grimthorpe built an unusually varied career as a lawyer, engineer, and writer. He was trained in law and became a Queen's Counsel, but he is most often remembered for his role in designing the mechanism and chime arrangements for the great clock at the Palace of Westminster, the landmark associated with Big Ben.

He also published work on clocks and watches and was connected with the design or improvement of many public clocks in Britain. His interests reached beyond engineering into architecture, where he became known for strong opinions on church restoration and building design.

Grimthorpe died in 1905. Today he stands out as a vivid Victorian figure: technically gifted, energetic, and influential, with a reputation that mixes admiration for his practical achievements with debate over his taste and interventions in historic buildings.