He was born in Kensington, London, England on August 26th, 1893 as the son of Francis Burgess (b. 1857), a plasterer's labourer, and Sarah Phippard (b. 1857), both natives of Swanage, Dorset who had married in St Peter's Church, Oldham, Lancashire on 31 October 1875. Charles had seven known siblings: Eliza (b. 1878), Elizabeth (b. 1880), Mabel (b. 1882), Benjamin Edmund (b. 1884), Kate (b. 1887), Jane (b. 1889) and Ethel (b. 1891). Upon Charles' return home to Swanage he was received by a large crowd of well-wishers and the bells of the local church peeled.