Census Returns

In the table below the number of persons with the surname Burgar, Burger, Burges and Burgess is shown for each Census year. In addition, it shows how many of the persons were in Dunrossness.

It can be seen that the Burgar surname has virtually died out by 1841. However, the Burger surname is 51% of the total surnames in 1861 and 16% in 1871. Thereafter the Burger surname is not recorded.

In summary it can be seen that the Burgar/Burger surname had virtually died out in the mid-1800s, and was replaced by Burges or Burgess.

It can be seen that the vast majority of the Burgar/Burgess family were resident in Dunrossness in the earlier Censuses but gradually they drifted to other parts of Shetland, in particular to Lerwick. See the Graph which is below this table.

Census Year	Surname	Burgar	Burger	Burges	Burgess	Total

1841	Total No	7	0	25	65	97
	Dunrossness	7	0	11	53	71
	% Dunrosness	100	0	44	82	73


1851	Total No	0	0	19	66	85
	Dunrossness	0	0	18	52	70
	% Dunrosness	0	0	95	79	82


1861	Total No	0	60	18	40	118
	Dunrossness	0	60	16	10	86
	% Dunrosness	0	100	89	25	73

1871	Total No	0	21	14	94	129
	Dunrossness	0	20	0	63	83
	% Dunrosness	0	95	0	67	64

1881	Total No	0	0	30	74	104
	Dunrossness	0	0	10	44	54
	% Dunrosness	0	0	33	59	52

1891	Total No	0	0	14	83	97
	Dunrossness	0	0	0	40	40
	% Dunrosness	0	0	0	48	41

1901	Total No	0	0	2	74	76
	Dunrossness	0	0	1	21	22
	% Dunrosness	0	0	50	28	29

These figures are taken from the data provided by the Shetland Family History Society. In their database they have recorded every person as having the surname BURGESS. However, in some cases they have also provided the actual surname that was on the Census returns. The data from the Shetland FHS used above is very similar to that in www.ancestry.co.uk.

It seems that the Census takers in the early Censuses used their discretion and used Burges or Burgess as the surname.