The opening of the new RHS Bridgewater Garden in the grounds of Lord Ellesmere’s former mansion in the Lancashire village of Worsley has highlighted how little we know of this great-nephew of the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater. Ellesmere’s contributions to the artistic, literary and political life of London are well referenced in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. However, his benevolent impact on the Bridgewater Trust, around the backward village of Worsley, has been largely overlooked. This is the first biography of a significant early nineteenth century nobleman, largely taken from contemporary historical information on the internet.