About Bill Burgoyne

BMSGH Coat of Arms

A Member of Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry

Member No 13892

Born in the 1930's at Berwyn Cottage, Darley Green, Nr Knowle, Solihull, Warwickshire, in the Packwood Parish, and has lived in the Temple Balsall Parish since 1939. ( Temple Balsall Website also

The Foundation of Lady Katherine Leveson, Temple Balsall )

Sometimes Known As

"Robert William Brian", "William Brian Robert", "Bill" and "Billy Buggins" was a nickname used by two Uncles, the reason for this one became obvious when researching the family history.

One term at Packwood Primary School, moved to "Heronfield Farm" in September 1939. Then Baddesley Clinton Primary until 1947, Clapham School, Leamington Spa until 1950, went on day release courses at Moreton Morrell Agricultural College for several years.
Called up into the "Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers" for National Service, but was given a compassionate discharge after completing basic training.

Married Jacqueline Wendy Wright 1961, at St John Baptist, Berkswell. ( Berkswell Website. ) our three sons where christened there. First home with Jacquie was "Barn Cottage" at "Great Pinley Farm" (Uncle Jim's).

In 1974 I was diagnosed mildly dyslectic and one son severely dyslectic during tests at Aston University. Now I really appreciate spellcheckers.

Moved back to "Heronfield Farm" when Don & Gladys retired to Rustington, Sussex. Moved to "Beech Tree Farm, in 1968.
Triple heart bypass 1st September 1993 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, very successful. Wound down the poultry business and farm shop, and started an active and enjoyable retirement with Jacquie in 1994.

Enrolled in a class at Warwick Record Office studying Title Deeds and the Enclosure Acts, and another at Solihull on the Warwickshire Landscape. Joined a short course with my neighbour Duncan Hankinson, ( Duncan's Web Page ) this was a small class of six at Hampton-in-Arden on Family History. I then joined a much larger class at Solihull. After two years I had the loan of a computer for a few months in the winter, I struggled to become competent before purchasing my own. I still make a lot of mistakes and can use only one finger on the keyboard !.

In June 1998, I started to prepare for a "Burgoyne Family Gathering Party". The modern village hall at Dorridge, near Solihull was booked in August 1998 for Saturday the 4th September 1999 My intension was to invite all known descendants and their spouses of my great grandfather Jabez Burgoyne. My initial estimate of numbers was 76, but searching for all relatives address's through local cousins the numbers kept increasing, eventually reaching 156.

Allowing for those who had become ill or infirm and others living in faraway places such as Hong Kong, New Zealand, and California we where very pleased to have just over 100 attending.

In May 1999 I found until then unknown to any members of the family in England, a Western Australian born 2nd cousin. His father Francis Jack Burgoyne had sailed to Australia in 1924 with the intension of returning after two or three years. Some notes in an old Bible belonging to another 2nd cousin indicated that he had married and settled in Margaret River, W.A.

On the Newsgroup soc.genealogy.britain a very kind person in N.S.W. offered to search for lost English relatives in Australia. He went to his State Library and noted the full names and address's of all 61 Burgoyne's on the electoral roll in W.A.

One name stood out from the rest, Robert Jack Burgoyne. Using the Australian White Pages on the Internet I found his phone number. I made a call early on a Sunday morning. "Are you a relative of Francis Jack Burgoyne" I inquired, "I should say so he replied, he was my father". This resulted in seven of his family flying over for the "Party".

Since the "Party" many relative's keep in contact through the internet, Jacquie and I stayed with Bob and Gwen Burgoyne in Bunbury, W,A. fror two weeks in November 2000. While there Bob took us to Albany where his father first landed in 1924 and then to the site of their first farm and Bob's first school at Carmarthen, Denmark, W.A.

We then visited the Valley of the Giants, Walpole, Nornalup, W.A. We enjoyed the "Tree Tops Walk" ( valley_of_the_giants.html ) 40 metres above the ground. Our next stop was Margaret River and Bramley Farm. The family had move there from Carmarthen when a mysterious devastating illness struck the farms animals. Science later discovered that a cobalt deficiency in the soil in many parts of the world was the cause and could be corrected. ( Photo's )