Hugh Hardy Burns (1883 - 1959)

Born 28 Dec 1883 in Brixton, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Died 11 Jun 1959 at age 75 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

Hugh was born in 1883 in Brixton, London, the son of Hugh Austin Burns, a greengrocer, and his wife Catherine, nee Hardy.^[1]

Hugh was a carpenter by trade. He served his apprenticeship with Garlick & Co. Ltd of Sloanes St, London.

In the 1901 Census he is living with his widowed mother and older brother William in Westminster. His occupation is listed as carpenter and his birthplace is listed as Stockwell.^[2]

At some time before 1911 he spent 4 years working in Glasgow for Hurst Nelson & Co. building tram cars.

In the 1911 Census he is living with his older brother William and family in Wandsworth, London.^[3]

He migrated to Australia in 1911 from London, arriving in Brisbane, Queensland on the "Norseman" on 05 Jun 1911^[4] and settled in Sydney, NSW.

From at least 1914 he was living and working around Mosman, Sydney, NSW.

Hugh was living in Mosman, NSW when he was rejected for military service in the Australian Imperial Force, once unrecorded, on 14 Oct 1916 and again on 04 Jul 1917 due to poor hearing.

On 23 Jun 1917 he applied to become an Australian Munitions Worker under a joint Australian government/ British government scheme to supply skilled workers for the War effort in the UK. At the time he was single and living in Mosman, NSW. His next of kin was listed as his brother, William.

He was accepted and his agreement was signed on 30 Jul 1917. He was issued with Australian Munitions Worker Badge No. 3260 and embarked on the SS "Anchises", departing Sydney, NSW on 08 Aug 1917 and arriving in Liverpool, England on 02 Oct 1917. His luggage was damaged on the voyage and he lost tools to the value in excess of 26 Pounds. He was reimbursed 7 Pounds and was not happy.

Hugh commenced with Messrs. McAlpine & Sons as a carpenter working in France on 14 Oct 1917. This was probably on hospital construction. On 05 Jun 1918 he requested a transfer as he had been in bombing areas since arriving. He was returned from France on 01 Sep 1918 and requested to return, preferably to southern region. By 27 Sep 1918 he was working for Messrs. Trollope & Colls as a carpenter at Tronville (probably Blangy-Troville in the Somme). He returned from France on 09 Jan 1919, having been delayed by cold weather. He commenced with Messrs. Mowlem at Regents Park on 22 Jan 1919 and was transferred to Admiralty work at Southwick near Brighton in May 1919.

Hugh returned to Australia on the SS "Bahia Castillo", departing Devonport, England on 18 Jul 1919. His agreement was completed on 20 Oct 1919 after disembarking in Sydney. His forwarding address was in Hurstville, NSW.

On 25 Mar 1924 he joined the NSW Government Railways as a carpenter, initially at White Bay and later that year in the Western Division. In 1933 he moved to Dubbo District and in 1935 to Bathurst.

In 1937 he was living in Bathurst, NSW and working as a carpenter.^[5] He moved to Lakemba, NSW in 1943 and was a railway carpenter.^[6]

On 12 Apr 1943 he moved with work to Sydney North district. He retired after 25 years service on 26 Mar 1949.^[7]

By 1958 he was at the Little Sisters of the Poor (retirement home) in Market St, Randwick, NSW.^[8]

He died in Sydney in 1959. It does not appear he ever married.

Sources

1. ↑ Hugh Hardy Burns in the England, Andrews Newspaper Index Cards, 1790-1976 - Source Information: Ancestry.com. England, Andrews Newspaper Index Cards, 1790-1976 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors.; Original data: Andrews Collection. Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, Canterbury, Kent, England.
2. ↑ Hugh H Burns in the 1901 England Census - Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 93; Folio: 149; Page: 23; Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1901 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.; Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives, 1901.
3. ↑ Hugh Burns in the 1911 England Census - Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911; Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.; Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA) Series RG14, 1911.; Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England.
4. ↑ Hugh Burns in the Web: Queensland, Australia, Immigration Indexes, 1848-1972 - Page number: 450; QSA Item: 18490; Microfilm: Z1969; Microfilm 2: M1707 M1708; Source Information: Ancestry.com. Web: Queensland, Australia, Immigration Indexes, 1848-1972 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.; Original data: Immigration Indexes. Queensland State Archives.
5. ↑ Hugh Hardy Burns in the Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 (1937) - Source Information: Ancestry.com. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.; Original data: Australian Electoral Commission. [Electoral roll].
6. ↑ Hugh Hardy Burns in the Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 (1943) - Source Information: Ancestry.com. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.; Original data: Australian Electoral Commission. [Electoral roll].
7. ↑ NSW State Archives & Records - Series - NRS-12922 Railway Personal History Cards - Employees born before 1900 - Number: NRS-12922-1-[11/16574]-[58]; Title: BURNS, Hugh Hardy - Date of Birth 28/12/1883
8. ↑ Hugh Hardy Burns in the Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 (1958) - Source Information: Ancestry.com. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.; Original data: Australian Electoral Commission. [Electoral roll].

• Birth - UK GRO BDM Birth index - BURNS, HUGH HARDY; HARDY; GRO Reference: 1884 M Quarter in LAMBETH Volume 01D Page 533

• Applications to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force - National Archives of Australia - Burns, Hugh Hardy; age 32; address - Mosman - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6534466

• WW1 Australian Munitions Worker Service File - National Archives of Australia - BURNS Hugh Hardy - Munitions Worker Number 3260 - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6448237

• Death - NSW BDM Death index - BURNS HUGH HARDY; 8945/1959; AUSTIN HARDY; UNKNOWN; SYDNEY

• Burial/Memorial - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/168564374/hugh-hardy-burns

• NSW State Archives & Records - Series - NRS-13660 Probate packets - NRS-13660-43-18191-Series 4_564966 | Hugh Hardy Burns - Date of Death 11/06/1959, Granted on 22/10/1963

• Letters of Administration Notice - IN the matter of the estates of the undermentioned deceased (1963, November 1). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 2001), p. 3267. Retrieved July 1, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220332143