Born on January 10th, 1880, and was educated at St Mary's Hospital, where he gained an entrance scholarship in Natural Science in 1898, and won a number of prizes and distinctions during his student career, including the General Proficiency Scholarship 1900-1902. He showed a great liking and aptitude for clinical work, and served as House Surgeon and as Resident Obstetric Officer and House Anaesthetist. He was an athlete, and in 1901-1902 was captain of the St Mary's Hospital Rugby team, and in 1899-1900 a member of the fifteen which won the Inter-Hospital Rugby Cup. He joined the Indian Medical Service, being placed second in order of merit. He chose the Bengal side, was appointed Lieutenant IMS on August 31st, 1903, and was gazetted Captain on Aug 31st, 1906. He served four years in India before he was appointed Medical Officer of the 88th Carnatic Infantry on March 11th, 1908. When the Province of Bengal became a Governorship on April 2nd, 1912, he was selected Personal Surgeon to Lord Carmichael, the first Governor. He enjoyed the complete confidence and friendship of the Governor, and won many friends, the natives being especially devoted to him. He returned to England in 1910 and became House Physician to Dr Sidney Phillips at his old hospital. He went back to India with every prospect of a continuance of his brilliant career and every reason to expect he would reach the highest honours. He was appointed Surgeon to the Governor of Bengal and enjoyed a large private practice, both in Calcutta and Darjeeling, showed great enthusiasm in his profession, and as he was an expert in gynaecology it was frequently said of him that he was marked out to succeed to the charge of the Eden Hospital. He was taken ill early in June, 1914, and underwent two serious operations, dying, after a week's illness, in the Eden Sanatorium, Darjeeling, on the evening of June 10th, 1914. He was given a public funeral, the Governor of Bengal being chief mourner, and, besides heads of Departments and other officials, the natives in hundreds followed from the Sanatorium to the grave in the Singamari Cemetery. Captain Hay Burgess was survived by Mrs Burgess and by two young children. Mrs Burgess, whom he married in 1905, had been Sister Thompson of the Albert Ward, St Mary's Hospital.