Research pertaining to my Burgess ancestors, who originally hailed from Sussex, England. Various branches of the family also emigrated to the US and Canada, as well as moving elsewhere within the UK.
[Work in progress!]
William Burgess (my maternal grandfather) was born at 3 The Bury, Astwood, Buckinghamshire on 17th March 1921 - the illegitimate son of motor mechanic Robert George Burgess and Ethel Mary Cox; however, his parents pretended to be married, hence why William was registered as if he were born within the sanctity of wedlock.
William - known as 'Bill' - appeared alongside his parents and older brother Robert on the 1921 census, shortly after his birth, at 3 The Bury.
In approx. 1925, the family moved to Bicester, Oxfordshire, where two more siblings were born. Their address was 88 North Street, Bicester.
When his father died in 1932, Bill and his brother Robert were sent to Wales to live with a relative of their mother's, as Ethel struggled to cope caring for 4 children alone. The two boys returned to Bicester shortly after Ethel married James 'Jimmy' Long in 1933.
At the time of the 1939 Register, Bill was working as a 'spot-welder', employed by Morris Motors in Cowley, Oxford. I am also told that he served with the RAF (Royal Air Force), although I currently do not know any specific details; according to my mother (Bill's daughter), he served in the Middle East.
On 26th March 1956, Bill married my grandmother, Joyce Margaret Collett, at St Edburg's Church, Bicester. They went on to have three children (all of whom are still living, therefore I shall omit their details!).
Shortly after their marriage, Bill and Joyce moved to a cottage in Edgcott, Buckinghamshire; however, Joyce soon became lonely whilst Bill was working, so they returned to Bicester, lodging with Joyce's mother Lilian. They were then given a council house - 2 Woodfield Road, Bicester - just before their eldest child was born in 1953.
Two more children were born whilst the family were living at 2 Woodfield Road, so to accommodate their growing brood, Bill managed to save up enough money to purchase a house of their own: 11 Stoneburge Crescent, Bucknell Road, Bicester. They moved there in early 1960, and remained there for the rest of their lives.
Bill and his brother Robert worked together, setting up various businesses which focused on waste disposal, as well as engineering. Eventually, Bill went solo, setting up Bicester Patios & Paving Slabs Ltd. in the late 1970's/early 1980's. He purchased a premises located on Wedgwood Road, Bicester. The business was continued for several years following his death by my mother, although she was eventually forced to sell up due to bigger competitors moving into the area.
Bill died at The John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, due to Non-Hodgkins lymphoma on 9th May 1994. He was buried in St Edburg's cemetery, Bicester.
Joyce Margaret Collett was born on 28th February 1932 in Bicester - the daughter of Herbert John Collett and Lilian Mary Ayris.
She died on 4th December 2010 due to bowel cancer at home at 11 Stoneburge Crescent, and was interred with husband Bill in St Edburg's cemetery.
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Image: Bill and Joyce on their wedding day. The best man was Bill's brother, Robert George Burgess; the bridesmaid in front of Robert was Robert's daughter, June Burgess; the tall bridesmaid was Joyce's cousin, Mary Timms; the small bridesmaid in front of Joyce was her niece, Janet Kilbane.
