Which English foundry cast the Liberty Bell in 1752?

The Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the Liberty Bell in 1752.

At the time, the London business was known as Lester and Pack. Pennsylvania officials ordered the bell through the colony’s London agent, Robert Charles, for the new tower of the Pennsylvania State House, now Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

The bell cracked when it was first tested after arriving in Philadelphia. Local founders John Pass and John Stow melted it down and recast it, but the result cracked again during later use. Their names and the date 1753 appear on the bell’s inscription, which is why the Liberty Bell is often associated with both London manufacture and Philadelphia recasting.

Its biblical inscription comes from Leviticus: “Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof.” The Liberty Bell became a national symbol of independence and civil rights, although its famous name was popularized decades after the Revolutionary era.