In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1860
From History of Ray County, Mo. (1881)
THOMAS J. BURGESS.
The subject of this sketch is a brother of Henry C. Burgess. He was born in 1860, in Jackson county, Missouri. His parents moved to Richmond, Ray county, in the fall of 1863, and here Mr. Burgess has ever since resided. He was educated at Richmond College. When about thirteen years of age he commenced to learn blacksmithing, working under different persons, till the death of his father, when he and his brother succeeded to the business, which is fully described in connection with the biographical sketch of Henry C. Burgess. Mr. Burgess is yet quite young, but he is a skilled artisan, and being intelligent, prudent and persevering, his future is full of promise.
As printed in History of Ray County, Mo. (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1881. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.