1A-A: James Guthrie (1st of Craigie)
Guthrie Family Group 1A · Branch A · The Next Generation
James Guthrie, Esq. of Craigie & Elizabeth Gardyne
Dundee, Angus, Scotland
James Guthrie, son of James Guthrie and Christian Scott, established this family’s connection with the Craigie estate. His marriage to Elizabeth Gardyne in Dundee on 22 July 1733 joined the Guthries with the Gardynes of Lawton and Middleton. Follow their children and descendants through parish registers, estate records, and contemporary notices.
The Family
James Guthrie,
Esq. of Craigie
- Parents
- James Guthrie, merchant, & Christian Scott
- Birth & Baptism
- Baptised 30 March 1698 in Dundee. His exact birth date remains unconfirmed.
- Death & Burial
- Died 9 March 1788 at Dundee; buried 14 March 1788.
- Occupation
- Landowner and proprietor of Craigie
Elizabeth Gardyne
- Parents
- David Gardyne of Lawton and Middleton & Ann Graham of Fintry
- Birth & Baptism
- No birth date or baptism has been securely identified.
- Death & Burial
- Reported death 25 July 1745; the date and burial place remain unconfirmed.
- Occupation / Role
- Landowner’s wife
Married 22 July 1733 · Dundee, Angus, Scotland
The Dundee marriage register records James and Elizabeth as contracted on 21 July 1733 and married the following day, with three proclamations in one day. Six children have identified baptismal entries between 1734 and 1744. Jean is also attributed to the couple, although a supporting birth or baptismal record remains unlocated.
Their daughters Ann, Christian, and Amelia married into the Paterson, Neilson, and Bell families. Their son James married Amelia Murray and continued the Craigie line. The children’s and grandchildren’s parish entries preserve connections with both sides of the family, sometimes identifying grandparents and other relatives by name.
Sources: Dundee Old Parish Registers, including marriage OPR 282/120/76 and burial OPR 282/240/178; Caledonian Mercury, 13 March 1788, p. 3. Further references appear in Explore the Records.
Explore the Next Generation
Select a child’s name to explore their story and family below.
| Child | Baptism | Marriage & Later Life |
|---|---|---|
| Ann Anne | 21 October 1734 | Married James Paterson, surgeon, on 15 December 1765. Their son James Guthrie Paterson was baptised in 1767. |
| Christian | 1 March 1736 | Married Richard Neilson of Corsock on 25 November 1762. Their children’s baptisms name members of the Guthrie, Gardyne, and Neilson families. |
| Jean | Reported date: 3 December 1737 | Attributed to this couple. Her birth or baptism and reported death in infancy remain unverified. |
| Amelia Emelia | 23 January 1739 | Married John Bell, merchant in Dundee, on 29 April 1767. Identification with the 1795 burial of Emly Guthrie remains provisional. |
| James Later of Craigie | 15 May 1740 | Married Amelia Murray on 26 October 1767. Continued the Craigie line; died 14 January 1830. |
| David | 18 August 1742 | Reported to have died at Calcutta in 1763; a supporting source has not been identified. |
| Lilias Lelias | 17 June 1744 | Reported death 16 February 1760. No matching death or burial record has been identified. |
Family Evidence Notes Open for source references, date distinctions, and unresolved identifications.
Births and baptisms. The table uses the recorded Dundee baptism dates for the six identified children. Weekday and time notations beside several entries do not always establish an unambiguous numerical birth date. Jean’s reported date has no identified register entry and should not be treated as a verified baptism.
Parish references. Ann: OPR 282/40/149; Christian: 282/40/169; Emelia: 282/40/219; James: 282/40/240; David: 282/40/276; Lelias: 282/40/308. Their father’s baptism is recorded on 30 March 1698 in OPR 282/30/205; the entry does not independently establish the reported birth on 28 March.
James’s death and burial. The Caledonian Mercury of 13 March 1788 reports that James Guthrie of Craigie died at Dundee on Sunday, 9 March, aged 90. The Dundee burial register records him on 14 March as “James Guthrie Esq Craigie” (OPR 282/240/178). The newspaper’s age is retained as a reported age.
Elizabeth’s family. The Gardyne memorial transcribed by Andrew Jervise in Epitaphs & Inscriptions, p. 323, identifies David Gardyne’s marriage to Ann Graham in 1706 and their daughter Elizabeth’s marriage to James Guthrie in 1733. Elizabeth’s appearance on this family memorial does not, by itself, establish her burial at Inverkeilor. Her reported death on 25 July 1745 remains unverified.
Jean’s identity. A Dundee entry dated 31 October 1736 names Jean as the daughter of John Guthrie and Ann Dempster. James and Elizabeth’s attributed daughter, reportedly born or baptised on 3 December 1737, still requires her own supporting evidence.
Marriage dates and generations. Christian and Richard Neilson married on 25 November 1762 (OPR 282/120/152); Anne and James Paterson on 15 December 1765 (282/120/179); Amelia and John Bell on 29 April 1767 (282/120/187). Amelia’s marriage entry calls her father James Guthrie senior of Craigie. The marriage of James Guthrie junior and Emilia Murray is recorded on 26 October 1767 in the Dundee marriage register, p. 192.
Amelia’s later life. The burial of Emly Guthrie on 12 November 1795 (OPR 282/240/287) gives no husband or parentage. Its identification with John Bell’s wife remains provisional. A reported notice concerning his widow at Mayfield is cited to The Edinburgh Magazine, 1795, but the original notice has not been verified.
David and Lilias. David’s reported death at Calcutta in 1763 and Lilias’s reported death on 16 February 1760 remain research leads. Neither should be used to infer a proven death location, age, or absence of descendants without further evidence.
Children & Descendant Families
James and Elizabeth’s children connected the Craigie family with the Patersons, Neilsons of Corsock, and Bells of Dundee. Their son James continued the Craigie line. In the following generations, family members pursued naval service, careers in India, and merchant business in London, while others remained in Scotland.
Births and baptisms below are associated with Dundee unless otherwise stated. Birth and baptism dates are kept separate. The expandable notes distinguish original records from family accounts and unresolved identifications.
1. Ann Guthrie & James Paterson
Baptised 21 October 1734 · Married 15 December 1765
Ann, also recorded as Anne, married James Paterson, a surgeon. Her marriage entry identifies her as a daughter of James Guthrie of Craigie. One child has been identified:
| Child | Life & Family |
|---|---|
| James Guthrie Paterson | Born and baptised 11 January 1767.The sponsors are recorded as J. Guthrie, Esq. of Craigie, Mrs Emilia Guthrie, and D. Scott. His later life has not been established. |
Paterson family evidenceParish references and the relationships actually stated.
Ann’s baptism identifies Ann Graham, Lady of Latoun, as her grandmother (Dundee OPR 282/40/149). The couple were contracted on 14 December and married on 15 December 1765 (282/120/179). Their son’s entry is dated 11 January 1767 (282/50/337).
The sponsor D. Scott’s first name and relationship are not stated. A name in the register does not, by itself, establish physical attendance at the baptism.
2. Christian Guthrie & Richard Neilson
Baptised 1 March 1736 · Married 25 November 1762
Christian married Richard Neilson of Corsock, whose surname also appears as Nielson. Their marriage was recorded in Dundee, where eleven children are identified between 1764 and 1775. The children’s baptismal entries preserve links to both sides of the family, including their Guthrie and Gardyne relatives.
| Child | Life & Family |
|---|---|
| John | Born 1 January; baptised 5 January 1764.The entry names his paternal grandfather, J. Nielson of Corsock, and his mother’s brother, J. Guthrie. |
| James | Born 5 May; baptised 12 May 1765.J. Guthrie of Craigie is named in his baptismal entry. |
| Elisabeth | Born 14 April; baptised 25 April 1766.The entry commemorates E. Garden, Lady Craigie, explicitly identified as her grandmother. |
| Richard | Born 20 June; baptised 22 June 1767.R. Rae is named as a grandfather. |
| William Elder son |
Born 21 May 1768.The names William Tod and William Collon connect this family with merchants in London. Reuse of William in 1773 suggests that this son died young; no burial is securely identified. |
| Janet | Born 25 June; baptised 1 July 1769.Janet Rae is named as her grandmother. |
| Amelia | Born 21 October; baptised 2 November 1770.The entry names Amelia Gardyne, Amelia Murray, Lady Craigie, and Amelia Guthrie, described as an aunt. |
| Archibald | Born 11 February; baptised 27 February 1772.Archibald Neilson is named as an uncle. A published death notice associates a London merchant of this name with Richard Neilson of Corsock; see the notes below. |
| William Younger son |
Born 1 February; baptised 11 February 1773.William Tod and William Collon are again named. His later life remains uncertain. |
| David | Born 15 May; baptised 18 May 1774.The entry names David Guthrie, an uncle, and David Gardyne of Middleton. |
| Josiah Martin | Born 19 October; baptised 21 October 1775.His namesake is identified as Josiah Martin, Governor of North Carolina. This is a naming connection; it does not establish kinship. |
Neilson family evidence & open questionsThe corrected dates, family clues, and uncertain later records.
Original records. Christian’s baptism is in Dundee OPR 282/40/169; her marriage, contracted on 19 November and celebrated on 25 November 1762, is in 282/120/152. The original birth and baptism entries establish Elisabeth’s dates as 14 and 25 April 1766 (Dundee 282, page 315), and Amelia’s as 21 October and 2 November 1770 (page 500). The remaining children’s dates and naming details follow the parish transcriptions in the family research.
Family relationships. William Tod is described as a granduncle and William Collon as a second cousin in the William entries. Such descriptions are useful leads, but the connecting generations still need to be traced. Naming an uncle or grandparent does not necessarily mean that person was living at the time.
Later lives. The Dundee burial of Mr Richard Neilson on 17 December 1776 is a possible match for Christian’s husband, not a confirmed identification. Two William Neilson burials, dated 4 December 1786 and 11 September 1799, remain unassigned. Christian’s own death has not been securely identified.
Archibald. A death notice cited from the Edinburgh Magazine for 1823 identifies a London merchant as the son of the late Richard Neilson of Corsock. This is a promising match for the son born in 1772. The associated will and the name of the daughter mentioned in it require a secure transcription before extending that descendant line.
3. Jean Guthrie
Attributed daughter · Reported date: 3 December 1737
Family accounts include Jean among James and Elizabeth’s children and report that she died in infancy. No supporting baptism or burial has been located, so both the attribution and the reported date remain unconfirmed.
The Jean Guthrie baptised on 31 October 1736 was a daughter of John Guthrie and Ann Dempster. That record belongs to a different household.
4. Amelia Guthrie & John Bell
Baptised 23 January 1739 · Married 29 April 1767
Amelia, recorded as Emelia at baptism, married John Bell, a Dundee merchant. Their marriage identifies her father as James Guthrie senior of Craigie, distinguishing him from her brother of the same name. No children have been identified for the couple.
The Bell marriage & possible burial recordsWhy the later dates remain qualified.
Amelia’s baptism is recorded in Dundee OPR 282/40/219. The marriage entry gives contracting on 25 April and marriage on 29 April 1767 (282/120/187).
A John Bell was buried in Dundee on 7 May 1787. An Emly Guthrie was buried there on 12 November 1795 (282/240/287). Neither entry supplies enough family information to establish the identification securely.
A notice attributed to the Edinburgh Magazine in 1795 describes Emelia Guthrie at Mayfield as the widow of John Bell, late merchant in Dundee. Its original text has not been verified, so it cannot yet resolve the burial identification.
5. James Guthrie, Esq. of Craigie & Amelia Murray
Baptised 15 May 1740 · Married 26 October 1767 · Died 14 January 1830
James continued the Craigie family after his father. He married Amelia, also recorded as Emilia or Aemilia, a daughter of the deceased Alexander Murray, merchant in Dundee. Their eleven children connect the family with the Cheapes of Pusk and Wellfield, the Raits of Anniston, the Makgills of Kemback, and the Hunter family.
Several sons established careers beyond Scotland. The eldest James served under Captain William Bligh; George worked in India; and David Charles became a London merchant. Alexander Murray Guthrie died on 31 December 1829, only fourteen days before his father, leaving his own son James to continue the Craigie succession.
| Child | Life & Family |
|---|---|
| James | Born 1 August; baptised 13 August 1768.Second lieutenant aboard HMS Providence during Bligh’s 1791–1793 voyage. Family accounts report his death at Innsbruck on 10 July 1795. No descendants have been identified. |
| Alexander Murray | Born 8 December; baptised 10 December 1769.Married Margaret Makgill in Edinburgh in 1815. Died on 31 December 1829. Their son James became the next proprietor of Craigie after his grandfather. |
| Lilias | Born 1 October; baptised 9 October 1772.Married George Cheape of Pusk on 12 June 1794. Their family was associated with Strathmiglo in Fife. |
| John Elder son |
Born 16 February; baptised 2 March 1774.Probably died young, as another son was named John in 1790. No burial has been securely assigned to him. |
| Elisabeth | Born and baptised 28 June 1775.Married John Rait of Anniston in 1799. Their family memorial records her death in 1814. |
| George | Born 9 August; baptised 22 August 1777.Known in later accounts as George Dempster Guthrie. Served with the East India Company and married Barbara Dunbar in Delhi in 1806. Their two sons are listed below. |
| Amelia | Baptised 21 February 1780.Associated with her sister Rose in Edinburgh. An 1844 death notice for an unnamed daughter of the late James Guthrie of Craigie appears to refer to her; see the evidence notes. |
| Henry | Reported lifespan: 1785–1800.Reported lost aboard the East India Company ship Earl Talbot in 1800. His precise role aboard the ship has not been established. |
| David Charles | Born 30 June; baptised 16 July 1788.London merchant; married Jane Campbell Hunter in 1820. Died on 27 June 1859. His son James Alexander later became proprietor of Craigie. |
| John Younger son |
Born 29 December 1790; baptised 3 February 1791.Reported to have died on 29 March 1795, aged four; that death has not been confirmed from an original record. |
| Rose Mary | Born 17 July; baptised 1 August 1793.Remained unmarried and lived in Edinburgh. The family research records her death there on 18 January 1863. |
The next generation: marriages & childrenFollow the Makgill, Cheape, Rait, Dunbar, and Hunter connections.
The following outlines preserve the descendant families identified in the family research. They are starting points for following each line, rather than a claim that every household is complete.
| Child | Marriage & Descendants |
|---|---|
| Alexander Murray | Married Margaret Makgill, daughter of George Makgill of Kemback, on 26 April 1815 in Edinburgh. Their son James (about 1816–1866) succeeded at Craigie in 1830. Later succession is explored in Historical Highlights. |
| Lilias | Married George Cheape on 12 June 1794. Children identified in the family research: James (1795), Robert Clerk (1798), Emily (1800), George Clerk (1801), Alexander (1803), Helen (1805), Hugh (1808), and Elizabeth (1812). |
| Elisabeth | Married John Rait of Anniston in 1799. Children identified in the family research include William (1800), Georgina Henrietta (1801), John (1803), James (1804), Agnes (1805), Amelia (1807), and Murray (1811). The memorial transcription also names a son Alexander; the full household requires reconciliation. |
| George | Married Barbara Dunbar in October 1806 in Delhi. Their sons were Charles Seton Sinclair (1807) and James Baillie (1809). Later accounts report George’s death at sea on 16 September 1813 and Barbara’s death at Yarmouth on 21 August 1834. |
| David Charles | Married Jane Campbell Hunter, daughter of Sir John Hunter, on 7 June 1820 in Edinburgh. Children identified in the family research: Elizabeth Arbuthnot (1821), Emily Louisa (1822), James Alexander (1823), Arbuthnot Charles (1825), Charles George (1826), and Georgina Lilias (1828). |
Naval service, trade & life in EdinburghSources that take the family beyond names and dates.
James and Captain Bligh. Ida Lee’s Captain Bligh’s Second Voyage to the South Sea, drawing on the expedition’s logs, lists James Guthrie as second lieutenant of HMS Providence. It describes his work guarding the breadfruit plants and examining passages through Torres Strait. This was Bligh’s later expedition of 1791–1793.
David Charles and the sugar trade. UCL’s Legacies of British Slavery profile documents his London mercantile business, his representation of Mauritian sugar producers, and compensation awards made to him and his partner George Clerk Cheape following the abolition of slavery. Some awards were received as trustees. These records connect this branch’s business history with the plantation economy; the capacity in which each award was received matters when interpreting it.
Amelia and Rose in Edinburgh. The index to an 1832 Crown Office precognition names Amelia Guthrie and Rose Guthrie of Carlton Place, Regent Terrace, among the victims of a housebreaking. It provides a useful address and a further record of their lives. The archival reference is AD14/32/430, with related trial papers JC26/1832/385. The index does not itself state that the two women were sisters.
Craigie household: evidence & unresolved detailsCorrected dates, repeated names, and the limits of individual records.
The parents. James’s baptism is dated 15 May 1740 (Dundee OPR 282/40/240). The marriage register records contracting on 24 October and marriage on 26 October 1767, identifying Amelia’s deceased father as Alexander Murray, merchant in Dundee. The Morning Herald, 19 January 1830, reports James’s death on 14 January, in his ninetieth year, and Alexander Murray Guthrie’s death on 31 December 1829. Neither notice states a place of death.
Original grandchild entries. The registers establish James’s birth on 1 August and baptism on 13 August 1768 (Dundee 282, page 390); Alexander Murray’s birth on 8 December and baptism on 10 December 1769 (page 462); George’s birth on 9 August and baptism on 22 August 1777 (282/60/277); and the younger John’s birth on 29 December 1790 and baptism on 3 February 1791 (Dundee 282, page 376). Other birth and baptism dates in the table follow the parish transcriptions in the family research.
George’s name. His baptism records the child as George and names George Dempster of Dunnichen as his namesake. It does not record Dempster as the child’s middle name or establish a blood relationship with the Dempster family.
Lilias and Elisabeth. The Caledonian Mercury, 14 June 1794, confirms George Cheape of Pusk’s marriage to Lillias, eldest daughter of James Guthrie of Craigie, on 12 June. For Elisabeth and John Rait, parish transcriptions give a March 1799 entry at Inverkeilor and contracting in March followed by marriage in April at Dundee. The original entries need comparison before an exact wedding date is selected.
Amelia’s death. The Perthshire Courier, 18 April 1844, reports the death at Edinburgh on 10 April of Miss Guthrie, daughter of the late James Guthrie of Craigie. This fits the Amelia in the family account, but the newspaper supplies no first name.
Repeated names and reported deaths. Naming a second son John suggests that the elder John had died, but does not supply his death date. The younger John’s reported death in 1795 and Henry’s reported loss aboard the Earl Talbot remain dependent on later accounts. Henry’s association with an East India Company ship does not establish Royal Navy service.
6. David Guthrie
Baptised 18 August 1742
David’s baptism identifies him as a son of James Guthrie of Craigie and Elizabeth Gardyne (Dundee OPR 282/40/276). A death at Calcutta in 1763 is reported in family accounts, but supporting evidence has not been located. No spouse or children have been identified.
His nephew David Neilson’s 1774 baptism names David Guthrie as an uncle. This preserves a family connection without proving that the uncle was still living in 1774.
7. Lilias Guthrie
Baptised 17 June 1744
Lilias, also appearing as Lelias, is recorded in Dundee OPR 282/40/308. Her reported death on 16 February 1760 has not been confirmed by a death or burial record. No marriage or descendants have been identified.
She is distinct from her niece Lilias, born in 1772, who married George Cheape in 1794.
Historical Highlights
Land, Kinship & the Craigie Estate
James Guthrie and Elizabeth Gardyne stand at the beginning of this family’s enduring association with Craigie. James was a son of the Dundee merchant James Guthrie and Christian Scott. His marriage brought together that household and Elizabeth’s Gardyne family of Lawton and Middleton, whose connections also reached the Grahams of Fintry.
The surviving records reveal more than an estate passing from father to son. They show a marriage, a growing household, dealings with tenants, and a dispute over Dundee’s use of the Muir of Craigie. In the next generations, marriages and careers carried the family into other Scottish estates, naval service, India, and London commerce.
Where the Ancestry Fits
The traditional direct descent from the Guthries of Guthrie has been rejected in the Special Collections reconstruction. The corrected 1773 Lyon pedigree begins with William Guthrie of Hiltoun and Margaret Ogilvie; it does not name William’s parents. The earliest links still require independent confirmation. Read the Lyon pedigree explanation alongside the Eassie & Hiltoun research.
Family & Estate Timeline
| Date | Event & Significance |
|---|---|
| 30 March 1698 |
James’s baptism in Dundee The parish register names his parents as James Guthrie, merchant, and Christian Scott. This establishes the younger James’s place in their family; an exact birth date is not separately confirmed. Dundee OPR 282/30/205. |
| 1729 | Craigie lands pass from the Kyds An archival account concerns the sale proceeds of Craigie lands sold by James and George Kyd to James Guthrie. This anchors the transfer of land into Guthrie hands. NRS GD137/3167 — catalogue description; original account not examined. |
| 22 July 1733 |
Marriage to Elizabeth Gardyne The Dundee register records contracting on 21 July and marriage on 22 July, with three proclamations in one day. The Gardyne family inscription also identifies Elizabeth’s marriage to James of Craigie in 1733. Dundee OPR 282/120/76; Jervise, Epitaphs & Inscriptions, p. 323. |
| 1734–1744 | A family grows at Craigie Six children have identified Dundee baptismal entries: Ann, Christian, Amelia, James, David, and Lilias. Family accounts also include Jean, whose record remains unlocated. See The Family for the dates and evidence notes. |
| 1740 | A dispute with a tenant A legal memorial concerns James Guthrie of Craigie being sued by his tenant Webster. The catalogue confirms the dispute, but does not explain its substance or outcome. NRS GD137/1670 — catalogue description. |
| November 1761 |
Public rights on the Muir of Craigie Dundee’s council records objections to James Guthrie’s enclosures. The town claimed rights including grazing, holding a fair, and taking turf and clay. Council extracts, November–December 1761. |
| 6 August 1764 |
A further Craigie land instrument A document called a “signature” records a grant of Craigie lands to James Guthrie. Such documents authorized the issuing of charters. The original is needed to determine its terms and distinguish father from son. NRS SIG1/72/14 — catalogue description. |
| 21 January 1766 |
An agreement over the Muir The council approves an agreement with Guthrie: the town relinquishes certain claims while receiving land east of the enclosures. This records a negotiated settlement. Council extracts, 21 January 1766. |
| 1767 | Two marriages in the next generation Amelia marries Dundee merchant John Bell on 29 April. Her brother James marries Emilia, or Amelia, Murray on 26 October. The registers distinguish their father, James senior, from his son, James junior. Dundee OPR 282/120/187; Dundee marriage register 282, p. 192. |
| 1772–1773 | Arms registered; pedigree corrected James’s arms were registered on 25 September 1772. A corrected pedigree followed on 29 September 1773, revising the earlier ancestral account. Special Collections: the two Lyon records. |
| 9 & 14 March 1788 |
James’s death and burial James Guthrie, Esq. of Craigie, dies at Dundee on 9 March. The newspaper reports him as aged ninety. His burial is recorded separately on 14 March. Caledonian Mercury, 13 March 1788, p. 3; Dundee OPR 282/240/178. |
Elizabeth’s reported death on 25 July 1745 has not been confirmed by a death or burial record. It remains in the family evidence notes rather than being presented here as an established event.
Reading the land and house recordsWhat the surviving evidence establishes about Craigie.
Landholding and town rights. The 1729 sale account, the 1764 signature, and the 1766 agreement concern different transactions. They should not be combined into a single purchase of the entire estate from Dundee Town Council. The Kyds’ sale and the town’s claims over use of the Muir belong to different parts of the property history.
What the council extracts add. The 1761 objections show why enclosure mattered locally: it affected uses claimed for the inhabitants of Dundee. The 1766 agreement records compromise between Guthrie, the council, and the incorporated trades. It is evidence of estate management and contested access, rather than a description of the household itself.
Who built Craigie House? The building’s date and the respective roles of father and son remain uncertain. The Soane Museum’s catalogue of James Playfair’s Anniston designs notes that Playfair’s journal records drawings supplied to James Guthrie of Craigie. The journal covers 1783–1791, a period spanning both men’s lives. The original entry must establish which James commissioned the drawings, what they depicted, and whether anything was built.
A catalogue description identifies a surviving document; it does not replace reading that document. Precise purchase terms, building dates, and legal outcomes should be tied to the original records.
Beyond the First Craigie Household
The family continued through several descendant lines. These later events concern James and Elizabeth’s children and grandchildren, whose individual families are described above.
| Date | Event & Family Connection |
|---|---|
| 1791–1793 | A grandson sails with Captain Bligh James Guthrie, born in 1768 to James Guthrie and Amelia Murray, serves as second lieutenant aboard HMS Providence. The expedition’s published account describes his work in the Pacific and Torres Strait. Ida Lee, Captain Bligh’s Second Voyage to the South Sea. |
| 12 June 1794 |
The Cheape marriage Lillias Guthrie, daughter of James Guthrie and Amelia Murray, marries George Cheape of Pusk. She is the granddaughter of the couple featured on this page. Caledonian Mercury, 14 June 1794, p. 3. |
| 31 December 1829 14 January 1830 |
Two deaths, fourteen days apart Alexander Murray Guthrie dies on 31 December. His father, James Guthrie of Craigie, dies on 14 January. These are James and Elizabeth’s grandson and son, respectively. Morning Herald, 19 January 1830, p. 4. The notice does not give either place of death. |
| 1832 | The Edinburgh household A court-record index names Amelia Guthrie and Rose Guthrie of Carlton Place, Regent Terrace, among the victims of a housebreaking. Their shared address fits the family account of the two granddaughters living in Edinburgh; the index itself does not state their relationship. Crown Office precognition AD14/32/430. |
| 10 April 1844 |
A granddaughter’s probable death notice A newspaper reports the death at Edinburgh of Miss Guthrie, daughter of the late James Guthrie of Craigie. The date agrees with Amelia’s recorded family history, although the notice does not give her first name. Perthshire Courier, 18 April 1844, p. 2. |
How Craigie passed through the later familyA short guide to the succession after 1788.
The Craigie succession study outlines these later transfers. Original conveyances for the Makgill interval and the 1867 purchase remain unexamined.
| Period | Proprietor & Connection |
|---|---|
| 1788–1830 | James Guthrie, son of James and Elizabeth; husband of Amelia Murray. |
| 1830–1866 | James Guthrie, son of Alexander Murray Guthrie and Margaret Makgill; succeeded his grandfather. |
| 1866–1867 | George Makgill of Kemback, a collateral kinsman. |
| 1867–1873 | James Alexander Guthrie, son of David Charles Guthrie and Jane Campbell Hunter; reportedly purchased Craigie from Makgill. |
Property could pass by inheritance, settlement, or purchase. An estate succession therefore does not necessarily follow a direct father-to-son family line.
Explore the Records
Parish registers establish the family relationships. Newspapers, monuments, estate papers, and correspondence add dates and details about individual lives. DNA provides another way to compare the Craigie paternal line with related Guthrie families.
The Guthrie DNA Project
A documented male-line descendant of this family matches Guthrie Family Group 1A. The represented line runs through James and Elizabeth’s son James Guthrie, husband of Amelia Murray, and their grandson George Guthrie, husband of Barbara Dunbar.
| Child | Y-DNA | Big-Y | Autosomal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann | N/A | N/A | — |
| Christian | N/A | N/A | — |
| Jean* | N/A | N/A | — |
| Amelia | N/A | N/A | — |
| James | ✓ | — | — |
| David | — | — | — |
| Lilias | N/A | N/A | — |
✓ = a descendant line is represented in the project records used here. — = no participation is documented here. N/A = James’s Y-DNA cannot be passed through a daughter. Autosomal tests can represent descendants through either sons or daughters; no participant is currently documented for this household. An unmarked entry does not mean that no descendants exist or have tested elsewhere. *Jean’s inclusion in the family remains unconfirmed.
What Have We Learned?
The Craigie result supports shared paternal ancestry with other GFG1A families. It compares 111 markers passed along the father-to-son line. That comparison helps identify related families, but it cannot by itself name their common ancestor or prove every relationship in a family tree.
A Big-Y result has not been documented for this Craigie line. A willing participant with a well-supported father-to-son descent could help place it more precisely among the group’s tested branches. The wider comparisons are explained in the Family Hub’s DNA review.
Kit Details & Inherited Marker CluesOpen for the test level, short lineage, and a comparison with the Guthrie–Foord family.
Kit 74203: Y-DNA111; displayed haplogroup R-M269. Its short ancestral path is James Guthrie & Elizabeth Gardyne, their son James Guthrie & Amelia Murray, and George Guthrie & Barbara Dunbar. The later generations are documented in the Guthrie Research Tree. R-M269 is a broad paternal grouping, not a precise placement among the group’s Big-Y branches.
A shared STR clue: Craigie kit 74203 and Guthrie–Foord kit 72673 both have DYS525 = 11, compared with the usual value of 10 in the group comparison. STRs are the repeating DNA markers measured in tests such as Y111. A shared variation may have been inherited from a common ancestor, but the same value can also arise independently.
The Guthrie–Foord comparison: kit 72673 descends from Patrick Guthrie and Agnes Foord and already has a Big-Y result. Identifying that Patrick as a son of James Guthrie and Christian Scott remains a separate, unresolved genealogical question. Neither the shared marker nor the Foord Big-Y result establishes a Big-Y placement for the Craigie kit.
Family-Specific Records
OPR means Old Parish Registers. Search the references below at ScotlandsPeople. Where only a parish number and page are given, the full volume reference still needs confirmation.
| Record | What It Establishes |
|---|---|
| James’s Baptism30 March 1698 OPR 282/30/205 |
Names his parents as James Guthrie, merchant, and Christian Scott. The entry does not separately confirm the often-repeated birth date of 28 March. |
| Their Marriage22 July 1733 OPR 282/120/76 |
James Guthrie of Craigie and Elizabeth Gairden were contracted on 21 July and married on 22 July. The register records three proclamations in one day. |
| James’s Burial14 March 1788 OPR 282/240/178 |
The Dundee burial register names James Guthrie, Esq. of Craigie. The newspaper notice listed below independently gives his death as 9 March at Dundee. |
Children’s Baptisms & MarriagesOpen for the parish references behind the family table.
| Child | Baptism & Reference |
|---|---|
| Ann | 21 October 1734Dundee OPR 282/40/149. |
| Christian | 1 March 1736Dundee OPR 282/40/169. |
| Amelia / Emelia | 23 January 1739Dundee OPR 282/40/219. |
| James | 15 May 1740Dundee OPR 282/40/240. |
| David | 18 August 1742Dundee OPR 282/40/276. |
| Lilias / Lelias | 17 June 1744Dundee OPR 282/40/308. |
Jean: no supporting baptism has been located. The Jean baptised in 1736 to John Guthrie and Ann Dempster belongs to another household.
Marriage Entries
- Christian Guthrie & Richard Neilson: contracted 19 November; married 25 November 1762. OPR 282/120/152.
- Ann Guthrie & James Paterson: contracted 14 December; married 15 December 1765. OPR 282/120/179.
- Amelia Guthrie & John Bell: contracted 25 April; married 29 April 1767. OPR 282/120/187. Her father is identified as James Guthrie senior of Craigie.
- James Guthrie & Emilia Murray: contracted 24 October; married 26 October 1767. Dundee marriage register 282, page 192. The bride’s father is the deceased Alexander Murray, merchant in Dundee.
The registers sometimes add a weekday and hour. Those notations should not automatically be read as a separate numerical birth date. A named grandmother, uncle, or other relative may be commemorated without having been present or still living.
Grandchildren: Records That Connect the GenerationsOpen for the seven original entries and their corrected dates.
- James Guthrie Paterson: born and baptised 11 January 1767, son of James Paterson and Ann Guthrie. OPR 282/50/337. The entry names J. Guthrie of Craigie, Mrs Emilia Guthrie, and D. Scott as sponsors.
- Elisabeth Neilson: born 14 April; baptised 25 April 1766. Dundee 282, page 315. Elizabeth Gardyne, Lady Craigie, is commemorated as her grandmother.
- Amelia Neilson: born 21 October; baptised 2 November 1770. Dundee 282, page 500. Amelia Guthrie is explicitly described as an aunt.
- James Guthrie: born 1 August; baptised 13 August 1768. Dundee 282, page 390. His grandfather James is named.
- Alexander Murray Guthrie: born 8 December; baptised 10 December 1769. Dundee 282, page 462. Alexander Murray, merchant in Dundee, is identified as his grandfather.
- George Guthrie: born 9 August; baptised 22 August 1777. OPR 282/60/277. His parents are James Guthrie and Amelia Murray. George Dempster of Dunnichen is named as a namesake; Dempster is not written as part of the child’s name.
- The younger John Guthrie: born 29 December 1790; baptised 3 February 1791. Dundee 282, page 376. His parents are James Guthrie and Amelia Murray.
Newspaper Notices & Merchant LeadsOpen for confirmed family events and two notices whose identities remain unresolved.
| Issue | Family Evidence |
|---|---|
| Caledonian Mercury13 March 1788, p. 3 | James Guthrie of Craigie died at Dundee on 9 March 1788, reported aged ninety. Pair this with his burial entry of 14 March. |
| Caledonian Mercury14 June 1794, p. 3 | George Cheape of Pusk married Lillias, eldest daughter of James Guthrie of Craigie, on 12 June 1794. This is the younger James’s daughter, born in 1772. |
| Morning Herald19 January 1830, p. 4 | Reports Alexander Murray Guthrie’s death on 31 December 1829 and his father James’s on 14 January 1830. The notice supplies neither place of death. |
| Perthshire Courier18 April 1844, p. 2 | Reports an unnamed Miss Guthrie, daughter of the late James of Craigie, dying at Edinburgh on 10 April 1844. The identification as Amelia is supported by the family account, but her first name is absent from this notice. |
| Caledonian Mercury27 April 1730, p. 4 | Unassigned merchant lead: John Guthrie’s Dundee shop received cloth for a Cupar bleaching service. The advertisement does not establish that he was James of Craigie’s brother. |
| Caledonian Mercury2 July 1754, p. 3 | Unassigned merchant lead: a Dundee cloth and apparel-supplies partnership became James Guthrie’s sole business. He is not styled “of Craigie.” The notice does not establish his identity or the reason for dissolving the partnership. |
The dates above identify newspaper issues. The events described may have occurred earlier. Search the title and issue date in the British Newspaper Archive; access conditions vary.
Land, Wills & Archive ReferencesOpen for the Craigie property records, the later estate, and the architectural lead.
- NRS GD137/3167 — 1729: account of the proceeds of Craigie lands sold by James and George Kyd to James Guthrie. The catalogue has been consulted; the original account has not.
- NRS GD137/1670 — 1740: memorial concerning James Guthrie of Craigie’s dispute with his tenant Webster. The catalogue does not establish the dispute’s outcome.
- NRS SIG1/72/14 — 6 August 1764: signature authorizing a charter for Craigie lands. Its full terms and the identification of the recipient require the original.
- Dundee council extracts: the Muir of Craigie dispute in 1761–1766. Compare the detailed entries with the underlying minutes, particularly the agreement of 21 January 1766.
- SC45/31/1 — 2 April 1832: Dundee Sheriff Court estate papers associated with James Guthrie of Craigie, who died in 1830. These concern the son, not the James who died in 1788. The record date is not a death date.
- James Playfair’s architectural journal: the Soane catalogue notes drawings supplied to James Guthrie of Craigie. The original journal entry is needed to identify the client, commission, date, and any building carried out.
Reading & Resources
Special Collections, Family Studies & Further ReadingOpen the sources most relevant to this household and its descendants.
- Guthrie of Craigie: the extended ancestry, corrected Lyon pedigree, estate succession, and supporting references. For the earlier territorial family, also consult Guthrie of Eassie & Hiltoun.
- Andrew Jervise, Epitaphs & Inscriptions, volume I, printed page 323: the Gardyne tablets at Inverkeilor identify Elizabeth’s parents and her 1733 marriage. Being named in a family inscription does not establish that she was buried in that enclosure.
- Contributions Towards a Nelson Genealogy: a published guide to the Neilsons of Corsock. Compare its family reconstruction with the Dundee parish entries for Richard Neilson and Christian Guthrie.
- Ida Lee, Captain Bligh’s Second Voyage to the South Sea: a journal-based account of HMS Providence and Lieutenant James Guthrie. The ships’ muster index provides a further lead to ADM 36/11154; compare the original muster with the published account.
- James Cheape Letters, 1808–1818, William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan: correspondence associated with the naval career of the son of Lilias Guthrie and George Cheape. The catalogue is a guide to the collection; the letters themselves require separate consultation.
- UCL: David Charles Guthrie: merchant business, the Mauritian sugar trade, and slave-compensation records involving David Charles and George Clerk Cheape. The entries distinguish awards received as trustees from other awards.
- The Raits of Anniston: a family study relevant to Elisabeth Guthrie and John Rait. Compare its reconstruction with parish records and the family memorial; the complete list of their children remains to be reconciled.
- Amelia and Rose Guthrie: the 1832 housebreaking record: an index to AD14/32/430 and related trial papers JC26/1832/385. It records both women at Carlton Place, Regent Terrace, Edinburgh.
For broader searches, use the Special Collections directory, the chronological source index, and the National Library of Scotland finding aid.
Most Wanted DocumentsOpen to see which discoveries could resolve the remaining questions.
- Elizabeth Gardyne’s birth, death, or burial. Seek a record naming relatives or identifying her as James Guthrie of Craigie’s wife. Her reported death on 25 July 1745 remains unverified.
- Jean’s place in the family and Lilias’s later life. A baptism, burial, testament, or family paper could confirm the attributed Jean and the reported death of Lilias on 16 February 1760.
- Amelia Guthrie and John Bell. A named death notice, testament, or burial with family details could connect the couple to the proposed Dundee burials. The reported 1795 Mayfield notice remains to be verified in its original magazine.
- David Guthrie’s reported death at Calcutta in 1763. A contemporary notice, overseas church entry, or estate record is needed to establish the event and identify the man.
- Family contracts and estate papers. Locate the source for the reported legal marriage contract dated 13 December 1733. It must be evaluated separately from the verified July marriage entry. Testamentary evidence for the first Craigie couple could also identify children and heirs.
- The property and building records. Examine the original Kyd sale account, the 1764 signature, Playfair’s journal, and the later Craigie conveyances. These may resolve the acquisition terms, construction history, and changes in ownership.
- Descendant records that name relationships. A secure transcription of Archibald Neilson’s will, the two parish entries for Elisabeth Guthrie and John Rait’s marriage, and a named record for Amelia’s 1844 death would strengthen their individual histories.
- Identities behind the merchant advertisements. Business papers, burgess records, deeds, or family correspondence may establish whether the John Guthrie of 1730 or the James Guthrie of 1754 belonged to this household’s wider family.
These are open research questions. An unsuccessful search does not establish that a person, event, or record never existed.
Help This Family’s Story Grow
A family letter, Bible entry, photograph, or overlooked record may hold the detail that connects another generation. If you descend from this family or have evidence to add, share your finding with Guthrie Genealogy. Please include the source and explain how the people named connect to the family.
Documented father-to-son descendants are also welcome to discuss Y-DNA participation. Descendants through daughters can contribute records, family history, and autosomal comparisons. DNA testing is not required to help tell this story.