George Burgess Childhood Family
JOHN WILLIS (Born 1761): Grandfather of George Burgess
The Willis family, having resided in Bristol for centuries are a well established Bristolian family. George Burgess descended from a John Willis who was a farmer at `The Batch', Hanham, who would have been born about 1760. The only John Willis found who was born around 1760 in that area is a John Willis born to John & Sarah Willis, and christened in the Mangotsfield parish on 12th April 1761.
But looking for the father of this John Willis, two parish records were found.
A John Willis born to John Willis and Anne Bright (both from and married in the Mangotsfield parish on 10th April 1721, and
A John Willis christened on 9th March 1725, in the same parish.
JOHN BURGESS (1789-1844): Father of George Burgess
John Burgess is believed to have been christened on 22nd March 1789 in the Mangotsfield parish. He was married to Jane Willis of the same parish, and they had three children. His occupation was a collier, and in later life records show him as a labourer. He died in 1844 and was buried in the parish on 15th September.
The Children of JOHN BURGESS and JANE WILLIS (1788-1860)
Ann Burgess - born about 1821
Samuel Willis Burgess - christened 1828, and
George Burgess - born 1829
ANN (aka Sarah) BURGESS (born 1821)
Ann Burgess was born about 1821, and christened in the Downend/Mangotsfield parish on 13th December 1824. She married George Sperring about 1841, and on the 16th February 1844 they buried their second daughter, Sarah Jane Willis Sperring, who died aged 16 months. In 1846 they had a fourth daughter, Emily Sperring - at that time George Sperring was in America with his brother-in-law (George Burgess) finishing their apprenticeship in stone cutting. He may never have seen his last born as he died while in America, and was buried in Baltimore Cemetery, in the State of Maryland. Their two other children were Evan born 1841 and Sarah born 1845.
In the 1841 census she is shown as Ann Burgess, and in the 1851 census as Sarah Sperring; so it’s quite conceivable that her full name was ‘Sarah Ann Burgess’!
SAMUEL WILLIS BURGESS (1828-1851)
Samuel Willis Burgess was christened on 20th January 1828 in the Downend/Mangotsfield parish. He was a carpenter for his short life - Being buried on 22nd July 1851, in the parish of his birth.
George Burgess (1829-1905)
George Burgess was the youngest of three siblings, he left school about 14 to become an apprentice in stone masonry. At about 16 he travelled to America with his brother-in-law to complete his apprentice; returning to Bristol, England for the third and last time in 1857. While in America he picked up the skills as a phrenologist, and in 1861 set himself up as a phrenologist in the shopping Arcades in Bristol; where he practiced his profession until his retirement in 1901.
The following pages gives more in depth insight into his family life, and profession…..