Edward Burgess was born on June 30, 1848, in West Sandwich, Massachusetts.

He was an American yacht designer. After graduation from Harvard University in 1871, he became secretary of the Boston Society of Natural History. He edited the publications of the society and published several memoirs on anatomical subjects. From 1879 to 1883, he worked as an instructor in entomology at Harvard. He travelled in Europe and, in an amateur way, studied the principles of naval architecture, bringing his knowledge and judgment to the practical test of designing and building vessels for his own use. In 1883, he turned to the design of sailing yachts for a living. Many of the boats he designed won fame not only in the waters of the eastern United States but also in a series of international races. In his seven years of work as a yacht designer, Burgess designed 137 vessels, which included 38 cutters, 35 steam yachts, 29 catboats, 17 sloops, 11 fishing-vessels, 3 pilot-boats, 3 working-vessels, and 1 yawl. His son William Starling Burgess would follow him in his profession of yacht design. In 1994, he was inducted into America's Cup Hall of Fame.

In 1877, he married Caroline Louisa Sullivant (1852–1891). He died of typhoid fever on July 12, 1891, in Boston, Massachusetts.