He was born in Sheffield, Sunbury County, New Brunswick in 1817 and grew up there. His family had settled there around 1763 after leaving Massachusetts. Burpee served on the provincial board of agriculture from 1864 to 1865.[2] He married Charlotte Perley Hayward.[3] Burpee was named to the Senate on February 1, 1900 and resigned on July 19 in the same year.[1]