[1] His appointment as Treasurer, like that of Sir Ralph d'Ufford as Justiciar of Ireland the following year, was apparently prompted by complaints by the Privy Council of Ireland about the efficiency of the Irish Exchequer, and the Council's doubts about the honesty of Burnham's predecessor Hugh de Burgh.
[4] However, his long battle to clear himself of charges of corruption can hardly have made the task of reforming the Irish Exchequer any easier.
[6] In 1346 he was present at the Council meeting which approved the appointment of Ralph Darcy as the new Justiciar of Ireland (d'Ufford had died in April.
[8] In 1348 he was summoned to England to answer very serious charges over his conduct as Treasurer, involving accusations of fraud, negligence and concealment of the royal revenues for his own profit.
[10] There is no evidence that Burnham was regarded by the rest of his colleagues as corrupt, although some of them stood to gain from the charges, notably Robert de Emeldon, who succeeded him as Treasurer, and was supportive of Barton, whose return to the Exchequer he facilitated.
While the accusations against him were numerous and detailed, Connolly[2] concludes that there is no credible evidence to support any of them and that the charges were fabricated by Burnham's rival William de Barton.
[11] Having vindicated his good name, Burnham returned to Ireland and was promoted to the office of Lord Chief Baron in 1355.