Michael Arthur Bass, 1st Baron Burton (1837-1909), Brewer, politician and art collector

Sitter in 2 portraits
Michael Arthur Bass was the elder son of Michael Thomas Bass and the great-grandson of William Bass, the founder of the brewery firm of Bass & Co in Burton upon Trent. On leaving university in 1864, he entered the family firm as a director. He served as chairman of the directors after his father's death in 1884. Bass was a Liberal MP from 1865 until 1886, when he was made a baron and moved to the House of Lords. Both Bass and his father were extremely generous to the town of Burton. They presented it with many buildings including a town hall, municipal offices, a ferry bridge and several churches.