BASS, the name of a family of English brewers. The founder of the firm, William Bass (b. 172o), was originally a carrier, who, seeing the growing demand for Burton beer, started in 1777 as a brewer himself. The principal market for Burton beer at that time was in St. Petersburg [Leningrad] , but in 1822 the Russian government placed a prohibitory duty on Burton ales, and the brewers were forced into cultivating the home market. William Bass opened up a connection with London, and established a fairly profitable home trade. A misunderstanding between the East India Company and the London brewers who were the proprietors of Hodgson's India pale ale, at that time the standard drink of the Englishmen in the East, resulted in Bass being asked to supply a beer which would withstand the Indian climate and be generally suitable to the Indian market. After a series of experi ments he produced what is still known as Bass's pale ale. This new and lighter beer at once became popular all over India, and Bass's firm became the largest in Burton. After William Bass's death the business was carried on by his son, M. T. Bass, and then by his grandson, Michael Thomas Bass (1799-1884). In 1827 a vessel laden with Bass's beer was wrecked in the Irish Channel. A large proportion of the cargo was, however, salved and sold at Liverpool, where it met with great approval in the local market, and through this chance circumstance the firm opened up a regular trade in the north-west of England and Ireland. "Bass" was, however, little drunk in London till 185r, when it was supplied on draught at the Exhibition of that year, since which time its reputation has been world-wide. In 188o the business was turned into a limited liability company. On the death of Michael Thomas Bass, who was a man of great public spirit, the control of the firm passed to his sons, Michael Arthur Bass and Hamar Bass (d. 1898) . Michael Arthur Bass (183 7-1909) , after 21 years in parliament as member first for Stafford, then for two divisions of Staffordshire, was in 1886 raised to the peerage as Baron Burton, the peerage descending to his daughter Nellie (Mrs. J. E. Baillie), Baroness Burton.