France

[Rachie]

Im not sure this is in the right place, sorry if its not.
How, or where would I find French records? I knew a relative of mine swam the channel, but Ive since found he took part in the french olympics in 1900. He married a Frenchwoman, and lived the remainder of his life in France, untill recently there was a bronze of him in Rotherham swimming baths. He was Thomas W Burgess, b June 15-1872.
Any suggestions where to look please?

[Procat]

Hi Rachie,

I have moved your post to Europe Genealogy.

[Lizzy9]

Hi Rachie,

Maybe this will help.

www.
sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bu/thomas-burgess-1.html

[Rachie]

Hi Rachie,

Maybe this will help.

www.
sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bu/thomas-burgess-1.html

Thanks Lizzy,
Thats were I found the olympic connection...which was quite a bolt from the blue! I would really like to find where his garage was, and who his "french wife" was.

[pottoka]

There's a photograph of Bill Burgess on page 6 of this site: https://s263176304.onlinehome.fr/PDF_echo//101TAP.pdf

It says that "on September 6th 1911, Thomas William Burgess (39) was trying to swim the Channel for the 13th time. He entered the water at 11:15 a.m. in Saint Margaret's Bay near the Lighthouse of South Foreland. 22 and a half hours later, having battled bravely against contrary currents, the bearded athlete (1m83 and 93 kg; 6 feet and about 14 and a half stone) arrived on the beach of the Châtelet to the east of Cape Gris-Nez.

Originally from Yorkshire, Burgess had worked in a tyre factory in Paris and kept a garage with his French wife. When swimming, he always wore motorcyclist's goggles."

I'll try to find out more about him, but he seems rather like Buzz Aldrin. Being the "second man", he was the one who was forgotten.

[pottoka]

https://www.parisenimages.fr/fr/popup...?photo=12965-8

Bill Burgess in 1906 when he was swimming through Paris - up the Seine?

[Mutley]

There is quite a lot about him on google, some wonderful pictures but sadly nothing about his French wife though he had a sister Winifred and an alsatian dog called Bob.

I loved the sworn statement that he testified that his chief nourishment during his swim was Nestle's Milk Chocolate.

[Rachie]

Thanks so much for those links, I hadnt seen those ones.
As far as I am aware they never had children, and as Mutley said the dog was Bob...but not one site mentions his wife by name?.

Just as a coincidence, last weekend was either a London or Brighton vintage car run to Paris, my brother ( a Burgess) was asked to service a L'Elegance, one of the few remaining, which was originally registered in Paris in 1903.

[pottoka]

I don't want to get your hopes up too high, but the sports link gave Bill's birth and death dates, places and the names of his parents. With that, I might be able to get hold of his death certificate for you; I tried to check what was need on the site this evening, but it's not working at the moment for some reason.

If I can, it should have his wife's name on it and the date of their marriage, I believe, although I haven't had such a recent French document so I'm not sure.

I've also sent an email to the swimming and water-polo club Bill was part of to ask if they have anything about him in their archives. It could be just an address which would mean I could get someone to look him up on one of the four Censuses available in Paris (1926, 1931, 1936 & 1946). The problem with them is that you have to know where some lived before you can look them up! Keep your fingers crossed!

[pottoka]

I managed to get into the Paris Archives this evening and have ordered Bill Burgess's death certificate. I just hope that the club got all his details right!

As there was only "Paris" for place of death, I couldn't put an arrondissement which means that all twenty Town Halls in Paris will have to be consulted to find the right one, and it could take up to two months.

But at least I've finally managed to set the ball rolling, so fingers crossed!