Census Returns

First Names	Surname	Age	Born	Occupation	Born in Shetland
James	BURGES	38	1803	Fisherman	Y
Ann	BURGES	37	1804		N
Adam	BURGES	14	1827		Y

We have been unable to find Adam Burgess (and variant spellings) in the Scottish and English Census returns for 1851 and 1861. It is therefore assumed that he was away at sea at the time of these Censuses. We have not found him in any returns of Merchant Seamen in this period, so it is possible that he was fishing.

First Name	Surname	Status	Mar	Age	born	Occupation	Occupation
Elizabeth	BURGESS	HD	M	37	1824	Sailor & Crofters wife	Sandwick
James	BURGESS	SO	U	7	1854		Quarff
Ann	BURGESS	DA	U	5	1856		Australia
Mary	BURGESS	DA	U	3	1858		Australia
Walter	BURGESS	SO	U	1	1860		Quarff
Barbara	JOHNSON	SV	U	27	1834	General Servant	Sandwick
Mary	HENDERSON	SV	U	25	1836	General Servant	Tingwall

Adam Burgess is away from home, maybe at sea. The Elizabeth Burgess above is his second wife, Elspit Johnson. His first wife, mother of James (aged 7) was Elizabeth Laing who died in 1856. The other three children above were the children of Elspit Johnson, recorded as Elizabeth.

First Name	Surname	Status	Mar	Age	born	Occupation	Born
Jannet	BURGAS	WI	M	29	1842	Crofter & Fisherman's Wife	Nesting
James	BURGAS	SO	U	18	1853	Son of Crofter & Fisherman	Quarff
Ann	BURGAS	DA	U	17	1854	Daughter of Crofter & Fisherman	Australia
Mary	BURGAS	DA		14	1857	Daughter of Crofter & Fisherman	Australia
Walter	BURGAS	SO		11	1860	Scholar	Quarff
Jessie	BURGAS	DA		2	1869		Quarff
Adam	BURGAS	SO		8 m	1870		Quarff
James	BURGAS	FA	W	79	1792	Formerly Crofter & Fisherman	Dunrosness

Adam Burgess seems to be away from home (maybe fishing?). His second wife Elspit Johnson died in 1866, so Jannet (Anderson) Burgess is his third wife, and the two younger children belong to her. Living with her was her father-in-law James Burgess.

First Name	Surname	Status	Mar	Age	born	Occupation	Born
Adam	BURGES	HD	M	59	1822	Fisherman & Crofter	Quarff
Janet	BURGES	WI	M	39	1842		Nesting
Ann	BURGES	DA	U	25	1856	Crofter's Daughter	New South Wales, Aus.
Mary	BURGES	DA	U	23	1858	Crofter's Daughter	Quarff
Jessie	BURGES	DA		12	1869	Scholar	Quarff
Adam	BURGES	SO		10	1871	Scholar	Quarff
Eliza	BURGES	DA		8	1873	Scholar	Quarff
David	BURGES	SO		6	1875	Scholar	Quarff
Helen	BURGES	DA		4	1877		Quarff
Margrat	BURGES	DA		2	1879		Quarff

First Name	Surname	Status	Mar	Age	born	Occupation	Employed	Born
Adam	BURGES	HD	M	64	1827	Crofter	Works on own account	Dunrossness
Janet	BURGES	WI	M	48	1843	Crofter's Wife		Nesting
Ann	BURGES	DA	U	35	1856	Crofter's Daughter		Sidney, NSW
Mary	BURGES	DA	U	33	1858	Crofter's Daughter		Sidney, NSW
Elizabeth	BURGES	DA	U	18	1873	Crofter's Daughter		Quarff
David	BURGES	SO	U	16	1875	Crofter's Son		Quarff
Ellen	BURGES	DA	U	14	1877	Crofter's Daughter		Quarff
Margrat	BURGES	DA		12	1879	Crofter's Daughter		Quarff
William	BURGES	SO		9	1882	Scholar		Quarff

First Name	Surname	Status	Mar	Age	born	Occupation	Employed	Born
Adam	BURGESS	HD	M	74	1827	Crofter & Fisherman		Dunrossness
Janet	BURGESS	WI	M	59	1842	Crofter & Fisherman's Wife		Nesting
Agnes	BURGESS	DA	U	45	1856	Knitter & General	Worker, Works from home	Sydney, NSW
Elizabeth	BURGESS	DA	U	28	1873	Knitter & General	Worker, Works from home	Upswell
Ellen	BURGESS	DA	U	24	1877	Knitter & General	Worker, Works from home	Upswell
Margaret	BURGESS	DA	U	22	1879	Knitter & General	Worker, Works from home	Upswell
William	BURGESS	SO	U	19	1882	Fisherman	Worker, Works from home	Upswell