Emerson Bainbridge

Emerson Muschamp Bainbridge (5 December 1845 – 12 May 1911) was an English consulting mining engineer, philanthropist and Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1895 to 1900.

Life Bainbridge was born in the village of Eastgate, the fourth son of Emerson Muschamp Bainbridge (1817–1892). He was educated first at Edenfield School, Doncaster, then at Wesley College, Sheffield, and at Durham University. He was articled in mining engineering with the Marquess of Londonderry in Durham College. In 1870 he became manager of the Sheffield and Tinsley Collieries, and soon afterwards he was in charge of the Nunnery Colliery on behalf of the Duke of Norfolk. This became a limited company in 1874, and he then became managing director with a controlling interest. In 1873 he was awarded the Hermon Prize for an essay on the prevention of mine explosions. He was head of a noted firm of mining consulting engineers. In 1889 Bainbridge, obtained a lease from the Duke of Portland for the Tophard or Barnsley coal, under areas of land in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. He then founded the Bolsover Colliery Company to take over the lease, and to mine the coal. He was entirely responsible for the development of Bolsover with regard to both the colliery and the New Bolsover model village. Bainbridge was also interested in local railways, and held many directorships including the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway of which he was Chairman of the Board, the Sheffield District Railway, Hardy Patent Pick Co., New Hucknall Colliery, Yorkshire Engine Co. and Wharncliffe Silkstone Colliery. He was a great supporter of the project for an East to West railway from Sutton-on-Sea to Liverpool, of which only the eastern portion was completed. He also supported the Sheffield Canal, and in 1889 lectured in the town on the possibility of bringing large vessels up the canal into Sheffield. His youngest daughter by his first marriage, Eva Jeffie Bainbridge, married Brigadier General William Darell. Another daughter, Patricia Merryweather Bainbridge, married Willoughby Norrie, 1st Baron Norrie on 28 November 1938.