He was born in Mile End, and was educated at the London School of Economics.
He joined the Railway Clerks' Association, and from 1916 served on its executive committee.
[1] In 1942, Burden was elected to the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Park, a seat he held until 1950.
On 1 February 1950 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Burden, of Hazlebarrow in the County of Derby.
Lord Burden married Augusta, daughter of David Sime, in 1910.