In deciding which surnames to use, I have started with my direct ancestors, working through the surnames alphabetically. I have two separate ancestors with the surname Burgess, so I will be setting up two separate posts.
The first ancestor with this surname was Mary Ann Burgess.
My ancestral line is:
1 Lois Whimpey
2 Ivon Walter Whimpey 1923-2009
3 Edith Jean Marr 1922-1990
6 Wilfred Palmer Marr 1892-1955
7 Edith Meriden Docwra 1904-1948
14 Harry Docwra 1866-1934
15 Emily Alice Oliver 1877-1925
30 George Oliver 1846-1930
31 Elizabeth Ann Ball 1856-1909
60 Frederick Oliver 1824-1855
61 Susannah Campkin 1827-1880
120 Sylvester Oliver 1805-1879
121 Mary Ann Burgess 1806-1872 Mary Ann was born about 1806 in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire, England.
Mary Ann married Silvester Oliver on 24 October 1824 in Melbourn. I have found Mary Ann and Silvester on the census records from 1841 to 1871 in Melbourn. On each of these census records, she is listed as being born about 1806 in Melbourn. The 1871 census also lists a William Burgiss as a visitor in the household. A William Burgess was also a witness at Mary Ann and Silvester’s marriage. Was this William Mary Ann’s brother?
This William was listed on the 1871 census as being born in 1798 in Melbourn. I decided to check the Melbourn parish registers to see all the entries for the Burgess family. This is all the entries I found:
| Event | Date | Surname | Child’s name | Parents/notes |
| Marriage | 24 Apr 1794 | Burgess | Wm | BT William BURGES] (x) bac ot Spouse Sarah Chapman (x) sp otp wits: Thomas (x) WAYMAN, Wm NEAVES |
| Baptism | 19 Oct 1794 | Burges | Ann | dau of Wm & Sarah born 11 Jul 1794 |
| Baptism | 10 Jul 1796 | Burgess | Joseph | son of Wm & Sarah born 27 Dec 1795 |
| Burial | 23 May 1799 | Burgess | William | 35 lab |
| Baptism | 31 Jul 1803 | Burgast (BT Burgess ) | William | son of William & Sarah born 17 Mar 1798 |
| Marriage | 13 Dec 1813 | Burgess | Sarah | (x) otp [BT consent of parents] spouse Henry Negus (x) otp wits: Joseph COLE, Lydia HUGGINS |
| Marriage | 9 Nov 1815 | Burgess | Ann | (x) otp spouse James Day (x) otp wits: Wm (x) WHITMOOR, Sarah (x) CHAPMAN |
| Marriage | 5 Nov 1817 | Birgish (BT Burgess) | Wm | (x) of Foulmire spouse Sarah Hales (x) otp wits: Wm (x) HALES, Wm BULLEN |
| Marriage | 12 Aug 1821 | Burges | Joseph | (x) otp spouse Martha Day (x) otp wits: Charlott [BT Charlotte] YOUNG, William STOCKBRIDGE |
| Baptism | 4 Aug 1822 | Burgess | George | son of Joseph & Martha otp lab born 16 Nov 1821 |
| Burial | 19 Sep 1822 | Burgess | Martha | otp 24 |
| Marriage | 28 Sep 1823 | Burgess | Mary Ann | Witness (x) marriage of Daniel Chapman (x) otp and Elizabeth Dodkin (x) otp (BT consent of parents) other witness Silvester Oliver |
| Marriage | 24 Oct 1824 | Burgess | Mary Ann | (x) otp spouse Silvester Oliver bac otp wits: Wm (x) BURGESS, Charlotte OLIVER |
| Burial | 26 May 1850 | Burgess | George | otp 28 |
| Marriage | 30 Oct 1852 | Burgess | Joseph | lab father of Hannah Hale (x) full age wid (blank) otp married William Mulberry (signature Mulbry) full age widr lab otp son of Jonathon lab wits: B Samuel BANKS, Susan STEADMAN |
Although the marriage of Henry Negus and Sarah Burgess would appear to indicate that Sarah was under age, the 1841 Census shows that Henry Negus, age 45, and Sarah Negus, age 65, were together in High St Melbourn. In the previous household was James and Ann Day, both age 45. The burial records for Melbourn also show a burial entry for a Sarah Negus on 22 May 1842, age 70. Based on Henry’s age on the 1841 census, it would appear that he may have been the one who was under age at the time of their marriage, and therefore it may have been his parents who needed to give consent. If he was 50 at the time of the 1841 census, this would indicate a birth year of 1791, and since he was listed as 45, he would have been born between 1791 and 1796. This would mean at the time of the marriage in 1813, he would have been between 17 and 22 years old.
From the parish registers, it appears Sarah Burgess, nee Chapman, became a widow in 1799. This may have explained why there is no baptism record for Mary Ann. Although it does appear that Mary Ann would belong to this family, there doesn’t seem to be any way to be certain of this, or to find out who her father was.
