Lord Burton Vanity Fair 25 November 1908

Michael Arthur Bass, 1st Baron Burton, KCVO (12 November 1837 – 1 February 1909), known as Sir Michael Arthur Bass, 1st Baronet, from 1882 to 1886, was a British brewer, Liberal politician and philanthropist. He sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1886 when he was raised to the

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks. Peerages include: Australia * Australian peers Belgium * Belgi ...

as Baron Burton.

Career

Bass was born at Burton upon Trent, the elder son of

Michael Thomas Bass Michael Thomas Bass, DL (6 July 1799 – 29 April 1884) was an English brewer and a Member of Parliament. Under his leadership, the Bass Brewery became the largest brewery in the world, and Bass the best known brand of beer in England. Bass r ...

and the great-grandson of William Bass, the founder of the brewery firm of Bass & Co in Burton who moved there from London in 1777. His mother was Eliza Jane, daughter of Samuel Arden. Bass was educated at Burton Grammar School,

Harrow Harrow may refer to: Places * Harrow, Victoria, Australia * Harrow, Ontario, Canada * The Harrow, County Wexford, a village in Ireland * London Borough of Harrow, England ** Harrow, London, a town in London ** Harrow (UK Parliament constituency) ...

and Trinity College, Cambridge. He was a Director of the family firm of Bass, Ratcliff, Gretton and Co from 1863, and Chairman of the Directors upon his father's death in 1884. He also served as a Member of Parliament for

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies about north of Wolverhampton, south of Stoke-on-Trent and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 70,145 in t ...

from 1865 to 1868, East Staffordshire from 1868 to 1885 and for Burton from 1885 to 1886. As a brewer, it was uncomfortable to be a Liberal MP as there was a strong temperance element to the Liberal Party at the time. In 1882, he was created a Baronet, of Stafford in the County of Stafford, chiefly in honour of his father (who was still alive at the time and who had declined every honour offered to him) and with remainder to his brother Hamar Alfred Bass. Four years later, in 1886, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Burton, of

Rangemore Rangemore is a village in the borough of East Staffordshire, situated approximately west of the town of Burton upon Trent, on a ridge of high ground about a mile due west of the village of Tatenhill where the population from the United Kingdom ...

and of Burton-on-Trent in the County of Stafford, with remainder to heirs male. In 1897, he was created Baron Burton, of Burton-on-Trent and of Rangemore in the County of Stafford, with remainder, in default of male issue, to his daughter and her male issue. In 1904, he was further honoured when he was made a

Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...

. Lord Burton married Harriett Georgina, daughter of Edward Thornewill (one of the family behind the Thornewill engineering company in Burton), in 1869. He died in London in February 1909, aged 71. He was succeeded in the baronetcy according to the special remainder by his nephew William while the barony of 1886 became extinct. The peerage of 1897 passed according to the special remainder to his daughter Nellie Lisa. The widowed Lady Burton lived with her daughter in

Grosvenor Square Grosvenor Square is a large garden square in the Mayfair district of London. It is the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster, and takes its name from the duke's surname "Grosvenor". It was developed for fashionable re ...

. She died in 1931. The Bass family seat was at

near Burton. King Edward VII visited Rangemore, the town and Bass Brewery in February 1902. It was Michael who got involved in creating the Stapenhill viaduct including a 120 ft cast iron suspension bridge, which was seen as an act of practical philanthropy, for the workers for when the river flooded it allowed the workers to still reach work via the canal. Like his father, Michael Arthur Bass was a generous benefactor to Burton, making many fine contributions to the town, including the

Ferry Bridge, Burton Ferry Bridge (also called the Stapenhill Ferry Bridge and the Stapenhill Suspension Bridge) is a Victorian pedestrian bridge over the River Trent in Staffordshire, England. The bridge and its extension, the Stapenhill Viaduct, link Burton upo ...

, the St Paul's Institute and Liberal Club (now the Town Hall) and St Chad's Church. A bronze statue of Lord Burton, sculpted by

F. W. Pomeroy Frederick William Pomeroy (9 October 1856 – 26 May 1924) was a prolific British sculptor of architectural and monumental works. He became a leading sculptor in the New Sculpture movement, a group distinguished by a stylistic turn towards Natu ...

, was erected in front of Burton upon Trent Town Hall in 1911.

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* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Burton, Michael Bass, 1st Baron 1837 births 1909 deaths People educated at Harrow School Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge English brewers 1 English philanthropists Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Bass, Michael Bass, Michael Bass, Michael Bass, Michael Bass, Michael Bass, Michael People from Burton upon Trent Bass, Michael Bass, Michael Peers of the United Kingdom created by Queen Victoria 19th-century English businesspeople

Career

See also

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Further reading

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