Burdon was a translator with Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky of the Book of Common Prayer.

In April 1855, Burdon and Hudson Taylor stationed in Chongming Island, adjacent to Shanghai.

When they preached, Hudson Taylor spoke first in Mandarin, then Burton interpreted into Shanghainese, which is native to the island.

[10] The school, named Tong Wen Guan, was officially opened on 11 June 1862 and Burdon was hired as the first English instructor.

[12] Burdon was married three times: first, to Harriet Anne Forshaw on 30 March 1853, who died at Shanghai on 26 September 1854 ; second, to Burella Hunter Dyer, on 11 November 1857, who died on 16 Aug. 1858; third, to Phoebe Esther, daughter of E. T. Alder, vicar of Bungay on 14 June 1865.