His next consignment was sent from Dumfries in October
1836. An advertisement in the Dumfries Courier states that he
was able "to manufacture silver forks, spoons and every description
of tea service, cups, child's cans and all kinds of gold and silver
work". In 1837 he moved to Church Place, Dumfries, and began
trading as a clock and watch maker, silversmith and jeweller.
He later moved to the west side of the High Street, Dumfries.
In 1843 he went bankrupt, but was trading again by the following
year, also opening a brass foundry. By 1849 he had returned
to Castle Douglas and was working as a watchmaker.
Adam Burgess seems to have experienced the same difficulties
shared by all provincial silversmiths of the time. His
advertisements suggest that he is keen to make more complex pieces,
but most of his work was flatware, and even then his living was
precarious.
Three sets of marks are known -
1. His initials, "AB", accompanied by marks that are a close
imitation of the Edinburgh assay office marks for 1835 - 6,
consisting of a ruined castle with two towers, a thistle, a gothic
letter "D", and a tree mark in an oval punch which is similar to
the monarch's head duty mark.
These are not exact copies of genuine marks, possibly so that
Burgess could argue that they were not intended to be
forgeries.
John
O'Reley, an itinerant merchant who may also have been a
silversmith, used the same marks. He was imprisoned for debt
in Dumfries in 1837 and his stock was disposed of at a public
auction.
Later in 1837 Burgess advertised that all his dies and punches
had been newly made under personal superintendence.
2. His initials, "AB", accompanied by genuine Edinburgh assay
office marks.
On 28 February 1838 the Dumfries Times reported that Adam
Burgess's assistant, Mr Holloway, had absconded with tools of the
trade and other articles. He was caught in Carlisle and
brought back to jail in Dumfries.
3. His initials, "AB", a different style of ruined castle, a
Roman letter "D" and a fouled anchor.
These marks were used by Adam Burgess and two other silversmiths
(A.D. and J.H.).