John's parents were Alfred Burgess, a woolstapler of Brook House, Knighton, Leicestershire, and Elizabeth Burgess. They seem to have been well-off. John was the oldest of at least 6 children and was educated at home. Alfred increased in standing and by 1861 he was a magistrate.
John, however, began his career in a humble way, being an elastic web manufacturer, although he was an employer not a worker. This was when he was 31. Ten years later he was an accountant living at 7, Saxe-Coburg Street, London and was married.
His wife was Jessie Ann Tarbotton, the daughter of a hide and leather factor. They had married in 1873. By 1891 they had moved to Essex Lodge, Ashby Road, Loughborough, and had 3 children. John had risen to be a solicitor/barrister and the official receiver for the area. The Burgesses employed a cook, 2 housemaids, and a monthly nurse (the youngest child was just two days old when the Census was taken)
On the 28 January 1890 The Daily Telegraph and Courier in London had announced that John Gulson Burgess had been Called to the Bar.
The Leicester Chronicle reported on 24 November 1893 that he had been appointed the Official Receiver for the Leicester County Court District under the new Bankruptcy Act due to come into operation on 1 January 1894.
By 1901 he had 5 children and at the age of 71 he was retired and had moved to Narborough, Leicester.
1915 13 October Philip Gulson Burgess of the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment died of wounds received at Loos.
When he died on 28 March 1917 his address was Belsize House, Mill Road, Worthing.