Alexander Guthrie (Merchant) 1706SCT – 1775SCT and Elizabeth Moray
of Dundee, Angus, Scotland

ALEXANDER GUTHRIE
Parents: James Guthrie (merchant) 1669SCT-1710SCT and Christian Scott 1669SCT-aft.1710SCT
Birth: 20 Mar 1706
Birth Location: Dundee, Angus, Scotland (presumably)
Baptism/Location: No Record Found
Marriage/Location: Elizabeth Moray / Murray on 5 December 1738 recorded in both Dundee, Angus, and in Perth.
Occupation: Merchant
Death: 1775
Death Location: Lost at sea off the coast of Norfolk
Burial Location: The Sea
Notes:
No birth/baptismal record was found for Alexander Guthrie. The relationship to his parents is verified within the baptismal records of his children as the relationship of their name mothers / name fathers are identified.

ELIZABETH MORAY / MURRAY
Parents: Robert Moray and Elizabeth Thompson.
Birth: Abt. 20 Jun 1708
Birth Location: Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland
Baptism/Location: Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland
Children: James (1740), Robert (1742), Christian (1743), Alexander (1746), Charles (1748) 1st of Taybank, Elizabeth (1750), John (1751), Jean (17??)
Death: 25 Jan 1761
Death Location: Scotland, presumably in Dundee, Angus
Burial Location: Scotland, presumably in Dundee, Angus
Notes:
The identity of Elizabeth’s parents are unverified. See linked source. There is only 1 OPR record in Perth for an appropriate time period: Elizabeth Murray, daughter of Robert Murray/Elizabeth Thomson on 20 June 1708 in Comrie. These names correspond with the relationships in the baptismal records of her children. Their residence is in Dailchourie. No witnesses listed. WikiTree lists Robert as being of Abernyte and a Burgess of the Canongate. According to various sources, Robert was the son of Sir Robert Murray, 11th of Abercairney, and Anne Graeme (See: Stirnet.com).

CHILDREN: 8
Y-DNA Project Participants: No
Autosomal DNA Participants: No

JANET GUTHRIE
1739-55 SCT – bef.1797 INDIA

No birth / baptismal record has been found for Janet. Based on the parents’ marriage date and birth range of the other children, Janet was probably born 1739 – 1755.

According to Burke’s Landed Gentry, Janet married John Stormont. ‘Land and People‘ also tells us about John, who had been for nearly thirty years a surgeon in the East India Company’s service. While he was in India he retained his father’s name of “Stormonth,” but on succeeding to Pitscandly he had, by the deed of entail, to assume his mother’s name, “Farquhar.” By his first wife, a Miss Guthrie of Craigie, Dundee, he had two sons and four daughters. His wife and two sons died in India, and the only descendant of the daughters is John Koby Leifchild, Esq., now residing in Kensington. On the return of John Farquhar to England he married, a second time, Susan Floyd Lake of Kensington, by whom he had two sons and one daughter. He died in 1808, and was succeeded by his eldest son, John, whose brother and sister died unmarried.

CHILDREN: 4
1) (Unidentified Son) Stormont-Farquhar – died in India
2) (Unidentified Son) Stormont-Farquhar – Died in India
3) (Unidentified Daughter) Stormont-Farquhar survived, married, descendant John Koby Leifchild, Esq
4) (Unidentified Daughter) Stormont-Farquhar

Y-DNA Project Participants: N/A – Female Guthrie
Autosomal DNA Participants: No

JAMES GUTHRIE
1740 SCT –

Birth 18 July / Baptism 21 July 1740: Alexr. Guthrie merchant & Mrs Eliz. Moray, child: James, Name Fathers: In Commemoration of James Guthrie, merchant, grandfather, James Moray of Abercairne, James Guthrie of Craigie, uncle.

There are several OPR marriages for James Guthries in Angus, but no specific clues pointing toward this specific man.

Y-DNA Project Participants: No
Autosomal DNA Participants: No

ROBERT GUTHRIE
1742 SCT –

Birth / Baptism: 22 Apr 1742: Alexr. Guthrie merchant & Mrs Eliz. Morray, Child: Robert, Name Fathers: In commemoration of Mr Rob: Murray, grandfather, Robert Murray uncle, Robert Guthrie uncle.

There are 2 Dundee marriages for men named Robert Guthrie bet. 1755 and 1775.
1) Robert Guthrie and Agnes Wright on 9 Dec 1763. Robert would be 21yrs old. This Robert is a Weaver.
There are 3 OPR baptisms for this couple:
a) Margaret on 21 May 1766 Dundee. NM: M. Wright, aunt, M. Cay
b) Robert on 20 Jan 1768 Dundee NF: R Guthrie Sr and Jr } Weavers [Indicate Robert’s father is a Robert]
c) Catharine on 24 Nov 1771 Dundee NM: Catharine Guthrie, aunt, Catharine Young, cousin
This man may have died in 1778. There is a Robert Guthrie buried at The Howff born 1728 – died 12 Jun 1778 in Dundee. Noted to be a weaver.

2) Robert Guthrie and Margaret Longlands on 2 Sep 1775. Robert would be 33 yrs old. This Robert is a Weaver.
There are 2 OPR baptisms for this couple:
a) Jean on 21 Sep 1777 Dundee, NM: Jean Philip, Jean Longlands
b) Robert – Born 20 / Bapt. 28 Jun 1779 Dundee, MF: The Rev Dr Robt. Small, Robert Guthrie, great uncle

Although more proof is preferable, the baptismal record of Margaret Langlands’ son Robert mentions a Robert Guthrie being a grand uncle. The same man had apparently been a name father to Robert at his baptism, too. Alexander Guthrie did indeed have a brother Robert Guthrie who was still alive at this time – he died in 1784 – and still residing in Dundee. So, by this chain of evidence we will claim Margaret Langlands as this Robert Guthrie’s wife.

There is a Margaret Langlands buried at The Howff in Dundee born 1752 – died Feb 1831. This Find-a-Grave entry does not mention a married surname or any relations.

CHILDREN: 2
1) Jean Guthrie 1777-???? – See above. No further details
2) Robert Guthrie 1779-???? – See above. No further details

Y-DNA Project Participants: No
Autosomal DNA Participants: No

CHRISTIAN GUTHRIE
1743 SCT –

Birth 18 Dec / Baptism 20 Dec 1743: Alexr. Guthrie merchant & Mrs Eliz. Moray, Child: Christian, Name Mothers: Lady Christian Moray, Christian Scott, grandmother, __ Lady Craigie Christian Guthrie

There is only 1 OPR record in Dundee with the right timing to be this girl, a marriage to Richard Nielson of Corsin in 1762, but that can be ruled out as the marriage record specifically indicates that his bride is the daughter of James Guthrie of Craigie. The next in Dundee does not occur until 1839. There are 5 other marriage records outside of Dundee for dates bet. 1760-1780: Shapinsay (2), Cardross, and Falkirk.

Christian Guthrie OPR Death Records for Dundee are found in the years 1794, 1797, 1800, and 1845 (84yrs), but the earliest Guthrie death record in Dundee is in the year 1772, so may not reflect an accurate expectation of findings.

CHILDREN: None Identified

Y-DNA Project Participants: N/A – Female Guthrie
Autosomal DNA Participants: No

ALEXANDER GUTHRIE
1746 SCT –

Baptized 15 Mar 1746: Alexr. Guthrie merchant, & Mrs Eliz. Moray, Child: Alexr., Name Father: Sir Alexr. Watson merchant.

Possibly the Alexander Guthrie who married Margaret Milne (Milln) on 14 Mar 1765 in Dundee. He would be 18 at the time. No OPR birth/baptisms found for this couple.

CHILDREN: None Identified

Y-DNA Project Participants: No
Autosomal DNA Participants: No

CHARLES GUTHRIE Esq. (1st of Taybank / Landed Proprietor / Merchant)
1748 SCT – 1827SCT

Born 22 Aug / Baptism 24 Aug 1748: Alexr. Guthrie merchant & Mrs Eliz. Morray, Child: Charles, Name Fathers: None Listed

Contracted June 3 / Married June 6 1785: Charles Guthrie Esq. & Miss Bridget Yeaman daughter of the late Patk. Yeaman (of Blacklaw, Provost of Dundee) both in this parish.

The partnership of Lighton and Guthrie, Merchants in Dundee, was comprised of owners George Leighton and Charles Guthrie, Esq. of Taybank. The partnership was dissolved and published in the London Gazette on 17 Apr 1810, with the business venture to be assumed by Leighton.

Their company was mentioned in the case of Watt v. Blair on 11 July 1826. The plaintiff, in the year 1808, had purchased 2 cargoes of lint or flax seed imported into the town of Dundee by Leighton and Guthrie, merchants, for sowing.

Charles Guthrie died on 3 August 1815 as extracted from the Burgess Roll of Dundee. (See Chart)

Bridget died 8 Aug 1820 at 63 years of age. She is buried at The Howff in Dundee with her sister Helen (Yeaman) Guthrie, wife of John Guthrie Esq. Her death had also been posted in the news ” 8. At Taybank, Mrs Bridget Yeaman, spouse of Charles Guthrie, Esq. of Taybank.”

CHILDREN: 1 Known
1) Charles Guthrie (2nd of Taybank / Landed Prorprietor) 17 Aug 1799 Dundee – 20 Sep 1870 Dundee. Married 30 Oct 1825 in Perth to Margaret Kinloch. They left an only surviving child, Helen Kinloch Guthrie, of Taybank and Carnoustie. She married 24 Aug 1858, Rev. Roger Rowson Lingard, who assumed the additional surname and arms of Guthrie

Ordinance Survey Book: Taybank

Y-DNA Project Participants: N/A – No surviving direct line male descendant
Autosomal DNA Participants: No

ELIZABETH GUTHRIE
1750 SCT – ????

Alexr. Guthrie merchant & Mrs Eliz Morray, Child: Elizabeth, Name Mothers: In commemoration of Eliz. Morray, grandmother.

Bet. 1765-1785 there are 8 marriage records listed for women named Elizabeth Guthrie (and variant spellings), but none of them take place in Dundee.

Y-DNA Project Participants: N/A – Female Guthrie
Autosomal DNA Participants: No

JOHN GUTHRIE
1751 SCT – ????

Born 3 Dec / Baptism 6 Dec 1751: Alexr. Guthrie merchant & Eliz. Moray, Child: John, Name Fathers: In commemoration of John Guthrie, uncle, John Guthrie, younger of that Ilk.

This boy’s uncle, John Guthrie, form whom he was named in commemoration, died in 1741. The other name father mentioned in “John Guthrie, Younger of that Ilk” meaning a Guthrie of Guthrie. John Guthrie 1705-1776, 15th Laird of Guthrie and his wife Jean Hodge had one son named John Guthrie, 1735-1803, who was living at the time of this boy’s baptism, later to be the 16th Guthrie of Guthrie.

There are 29 John Guthrie marriages in Scotland bet. 1765-1785 with 8 in Angus, and only 3 of those in Dundee.
1) John Guthrie (merchant) to Helen Yeaman on 30 Jun 1772 – Ruled out. This marriage is already identified.
2) John Guthrie (barber/wigmaker) to Mary Gibson on 23 Nov 1772 – 5 children – one baptismal record lists on Isabell Guthrie, aunt, and as this John Guthrie had no sister by that name probably rules out this couple.
3) John Guthrie (sailor) to Helen Hill on 7 Jan 1777 – 3 children – names Ann Guthrie, aunt, which also likely rules out this couple.

CHILDREN: None Identified

Y-DNA Project Participants: No
Autosomal DNA Participants: No

READING and RESOURCES

WEBSITE: Genealogy / Family Database – Guthrie (including Guthrie of Craigie)
Digital Repository: Stirnet.com

BOOK: Warden, Alex J., 1885. Angus or Forfarshire, the land and people, descriptive and historical. Dundee, Scotland
Includes the lengthy take of the family of Farquhar in Pitscandly, the succession of the Stormonth descendants thereafter Stormonth-Farquhar, and the Guthrie connection.
See Also: Mountie Castle

BOOK: Wellington, R., Alderman, W. H., Hedrick, U. P., Dorsey, M. J., Taylor, O. M. (1911). The Plums of New York. United States: J. B. Lyon Company, state printers.
Descriptions of Fruit Collections produced by Charles Guthrie of Taybank.

Book: Alumni Cantabrigienses: A Biographical List of All Known Students, Graduates and Holders of Office at the University of Cambridge, from the Earliest Times to 1900. (2011). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
See: Lingard (post Lingard-Guthrie), The Rev. Roger Rowson Lingard, M.A.

Book: Burke, B., Burke, A. P. (1898). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland. United Kingdom: Harrison & sons.

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