No census details on him for being in Guernsey can be found for 1871,1881 or 1891.
Shown below this editorial are some examples of James Burnside's photographic work - Due to the short span of his occupancy in the Pollet, it is difficult to arrange the images in date order though it seems likely that he started trading as 'James Burnside', then 'J. Burnside' and lastly as just 'Burnside'. From the quality of the cartes it also seems probable that he had normal and deluxe carte mounts running at the same time - you obviously would pay extra for a better mount! Thomas Grut when he first took over the establishment would have had a job stamping the deluxe versions with his name as they had a dark backing.
Search for census details on a man living in the UK with the same name and also being a photographer, have tagged a possible match:-
1861 -- aged 6 -- born 1855 -- Scholar Sunderland
1871 -- aged 16 -- born 1855 -- Scholar Gateshead
1901 -- aged 46 -- born 1855 -- Photographer Axbridge
There is also another James Burnside listed in the 1911 census as a photographer who was also born in Sunderland -- born 1866.
5 Pollet Street had been a photographic establishment for many years - research by the author has found that the following sequence of occupation can be considered:-
J. Warner (formerly of Regent Street, London) - from c1858 uncorroborated
Bailey - from c1861 (Later his wife) uncorroborated
Sarah Louisa Cumber - from c1865 (died Jan 5th 1882)
Henry Gayton - 1882 -? (It is possible that he was helping at the premises before this date due to Sarah Louisa Cumber's ill health as he was listed as living as a lodger at 3 Pollet Street in the 1881 census). Previously he was at 50 Victoria Road. All his photographs that have been found to date do not have printed backs, only hand written ones.
James Burnside - c1886 - ?
TA Grut - c1894 onwards to the 20th/21st Century -- Norman Grut -- Gruts -- Jessops
I welcome any other theories or corrections on the above!
This nurse is wearing a linen badged arm band which I believe says' THE ST JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION'. This image was taken in the late 1880s or early 1890s. It was was more than likely that she was a Guernsey lady working in the UK as St John trained nurse as the Guernsey St John website says that no trained nurses were working in Guernsey until the 1930s - Please see below:-
'The first recorded activity of St John in Guernsey was in the early 1930s when Dr Robertson started teaching St John Ambulance Association first aid courses. This was followed by the establishment of the Guernsey Ambulance Division a brigade of uniformed volunteers to provide first aid services, and later caring, to the community.'
Ref: 2023-03-02-0001-
Location: 5 Pollet Street St Peter Port Guernsey
Photographer: James Burnside
