- The following discussion is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.
The result was: promoted by Hawkeye7 (talk) 11:54, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
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Benjamin Hanks edit
- ... that Benjamin Hanks is considered to be the first to make bronze cannons and church bells in America?
Created by Doug Coldwell (talk), Djembayz (talk). Nominated by Doug Coldwell (talk) at 12:09, 12 July 2013 (UTC).
Article is long enough and new enough. The hook is short enough and interesting. QPQ complete. However, I'm having trouble verifying the hook fact. The Delaney site says "Benjamin is believed to be the first to cast large bells and bronze cannons in the country." (Note also the claim is only as to large bells. Also, is the Delaney site reliable?) The Henry Ford site says "It is believed that he cast the first bells and bronze cannons made in America." The only source asserting that he was first as a factual matter (as opposed to a belief) is a local history pamphlet on Litchfield ("Benjamin cast the first Church Bells and Bronze Cannons made in America."). There appears to some uncertainty as to whether he was the first and inconsistency as to what exactly he did first (large bells, bells, or church bells). Perhaps the hook could be modified as follows: ALT1: ... that Benjamin Hanks is believed to be the first to make bronze cannons in the United States? Cbl62 (talk) 14:46, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
- I'll attempt to answer your concerns. The term "bells" for that time period (eighteenth century) meant "large bells" and "church bells". The article and associated references is about his foundries making church bells as well as cannons.
- The Delaney site is reliable, since they obtained the information from the source Connecticut Clockmakers of the Eighteenth Century and other similar references.
- Ref #4 - The Meneely Bell Online Museum reference says ...Col. Benjamin Hanks, who had established the first bell and cannon foundry in America... - where bell means large church bells. Meneely Bell Foundry made church bells.
- In the references I obtained the books from the library and have given the wording of the references:
- Ref #5 - The book "Litchfield: portrait of a beautiful town" by Henry L. Shepherd on page 143 talks of church bells: Benjamin cast the first Church Bells and Bronze Cannons made in America.
- Ref #6 - I gave the wording of The New England Historical and Genealogical Register on page 20 In the early part of the Revolutionary War Benjamin Hanks was a Tory. ... left Litchfield and returned to Mansfield, where he established a bell and bronze-cannon foundry and cast the first church bells and bronze cannons made in this country.
- Ref #8 - I gave the wording of the "The National Cyclopaedia of American biography" by James Terry White on page 397 Col. Benjamin Hanks, his older brother, cast the first brass cannons and the first church bells made in America.
- Does that work for you?--Doug Coldwell (talk) 20:38, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
Thanks for clarifying. This now looks OK. Cbl62 (talk) 15:49, 13 July 2013 (UTC)
