Introduction / Families / Burgher / Thomas Burgher and Elizabeth Seatter / Robert Burgess and Elizabeth Hercus

Tomina Burgar and James Burgess

Tomima Burgar was born 5th February 1866 to Elizabeth Hercus and Robert Burgess. She married her third cousin James Burgess of Taft, Rapness, Westray, at her home at Cott in Pharay on 24th December 1884. James, born 15th August 1857, was the son of John Burghar and Mary Leslie. They soon left for Victoria, Australia aboard the ship "Australia" and departed or arrived in October 1885. They were "unassisted" travelers meaning they had not received government support for their passage. They settled in Newcastle, New South Wales, north of Sydney, where all their children were born:

• James Burgess, b. 7th Mar 1886 and married in 1919 Elizabeth Taylor who died in 1923. James died 9th June 1953.

• John R. Burgess, b. 4th Apr 1887 and d. 18th Jan 1888

• Robert Burgess, b. 3rd June 1888 and d. 8th Aug 1888

• Elizabeth Burgess, b. 22nd June 1889 and d. 18th July 1889

• Mary Jane Burgess, b. 5th Apr 1891 and was living in Newcastle in the 1950s

• Thomas Burgess, b 20th Nov 1895 and married Florence Maddison, 1925 in Hamilton, NSW; d. 15th June 1945

• Clifford Burgess, b. 10th July 1897 and d. 8th Sept 1898

• Reginald Burgess, b. 27th Apr 1899 and married Gwendoline Hauber Allen, 1923, in East Maitland, NSW. He retired from the NSW Railway Workshop and was living in Belmont NSW in the 1950s, near where his wife had a teashop.

• Bessie S. Burgess, b. 28th Oct 1901 and d. 16th Feb 1902

James died in Newcastle 27th Feb 1910. Tomima died in Hamilton 28th August 1943, age 77.