Bridges married Margaret Elizabeth Lee on 17 July 1873 at the home of her parents, Rose Hill Farm near Cabbage Tree Creek, now known as Boondall.

[3] Being a popular and well-regarded local farmer, Bridges stood for the Queensland Legislative Assembly in the 1896 colonial election as a Ministerialist, beating the incumbent George Agnew by 60 votes in the electoral district of Nundah.

As part of his strategy to become Premier after the 1904 election, Rutledge decided to contest an electorate closer to Brisbane, and chose the semi-rural seat of Nundah which, he assumed, would be easily won by a man of his political experience, especially as it was already held by a fellow Ministerialist.

[9] His public meetings were packed with prominent religious and political leaders, in contrast to a low-key campaign run by Bridges based on his community service and commitment to keep the cost of railway tickets low.

Loyal local people persuaded Bridges to return to politics, and he stood against Sumner and won back his seat, as a member of the Liberal Party, serving from 2 October 1909 until 16 March 1918 when he finally retired.

Less than 18 months later, on 4 June 1939 while sitting and talking with a sick friend in St Martin's Hospital in Brisbane, Bridges suddenly fell backwards and died.