1A-G: Elizabeth Guthrie
Guthrie Family Group 1A · Branch G · Child Page
Elizabeth Guthrie & John Glenn Wingfield
Amherst County, Virginia · Later home unresolved
Elizabeth Guthrie, the youngest named child of William Guthrie and Elizabeth Wingfield, appears in the Amherst County guardianship records after her father’s death. She married John Glenn Wingfield, recorded as John G. Wingfield, on 11 November 1843.
A court notice issued in 1846 names John G. Wingfield and Elizabeth his wife and explicitly identifies them as nonresidents of Virginia. Their destination, children, and later lives remain unresolved. A Wingfield household in the 1850 Bedford County census offers a lead, but has not been established as this family.
Family at a Glance
Elizabeth Guthrie
- Parents
- William Guthrie & Elizabeth Wingfield.
- Birth
- Estimated 1819–1824, Amherst County, Virginia, in the family research. An exact birth record has not been identified.
- Family Position
- The youngest named child in the reconstructed family.
- Guardians
- Her mother, Elizabeth Guthrie, in the 1825 and 1828 references; her brother, Nicholas Guthrie, in the bond dated 21 March 1832.
- Married Name
- Elizabeth Wingfield.
- Last Firmly Identified Reference
- Named with her husband in the 1846 Amherst chancery notice.
- Death & Burial
- Not established.
John Glenn Wingfield
- Name in Records
- John G. Wingfield in the marriage references and 1846 court notice; the family research expands his name to John Glenn Wingfield.
- Parents
- Not established for this husband.
- Birth
- Date and place not established. The proposed birth around 1815 belongs to the possible Bedford census identification.
- Occupation
- Not established. “Laborer” describes the John Wingfield in the unconfirmed 1850 household.
- Residence
- Connected with Amherst through the 1843 marriage; identified with Elizabeth as a nonresident of Virginia in the 1846 notice.
- Death & Burial
- Not established.
Marriage: 11 November 1843 · Amherst County, Virginia
The family marriage abstract names Oliver Guthrie and Nathan Guthrie as sureties or witnesses.
Children: No children have yet been securely identified for Elizabeth and John. The six younger Wingfields in the possible 1850 Bedford household are retained below as household residents, pending evidence connecting that household to this couple.
Two Elizabeths & a Wingfield Relationship to Resolve
Elizabeth Wingfield, wife of William Guthrie, was the mother. Elizabeth Guthrie, wife of John G. Wingfield, was the daughter. The mother appears as Elizabeth Guthrie in the early guardianship records; the daughter later appears as Elizabeth Wingfield.
The legacy account describes John as Elizabeth’s cousin. That relationship remains a research claim until his parentage and the connecting generations are documented. A shared Wingfield surname does not by itself establish the relationship or its degree.
Historical Highlights
The youngest daughter and an unfinished trail
Elizabeth’s childhood is documented through the administration of her father’s estate and the guardianship of his younger children. The bonds place her alongside Sally, Laurence, and Oliver. Her mother served as guardian in the earlier records, and Nicholas’s 1832 bond continues the family’s documentary trail.
The 1843 marriage connects Elizabeth with John G. Wingfield and names her brothers Oliver and Nathan in the accompanying family abstract. Three years later, an Amherst chancery notice places the married couple among defendants described as nonresidents of Virginia. This is direct evidence of their reported residence outside the state at that time, although it does not identify their destination.
The next proposed connection is a Bedford County household headed by John and Eliza Wingfield in 1850. Similar names and a compatible age for Eliza make it worth investigating. The residents’ relationships, the couple’s earlier whereabouts, and the presence of several young people born before the 1843 marriage all need to be resolved before that household becomes part of Elizabeth’s established history.
Family Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1819–1824 Estimated |
Birth in the Amherst family Elizabeth’s birth is estimated within this range in the family research. No exact date has been established. Family profile and legacy research; estimate, not a birth-register entry. |
| 1825 | A child under guardianship The younger-child guardianship reference names Sally, Laurence, Oliver, and Elizabeth, with their mother Elizabeth Guthrie as guardian. Amherst County Will Book 6, p. 620; related estate material on pp. 619–621. |
| 1828–1832 | The guardianship continues The mother’s guardianship appears in the 1828 references. Nicholas Guthrie’s bond of 21 March 1832 names Sally, Laurence P., Oliver, and Elizabeth as William Guthrie’s children under his guardianship. Amherst Will Book 7, pp. 145–146; Will Book 8, p. 187. The 1832 bond documents Nicholas acting as guardian by that date. |
| 11 Nov 1843 | Marriage to John G. Wingfield The marriage is recorded in the Amherst research. Oliver Guthrie and Nathan Guthrie are named in the accompanying surety/witness notation. Family marriage abstract and indexed marriage sources retained in Elizabeth’s research profile. |
| 5 Oct 1846 | Named as nonresidents of Virginia At Amherst court rules, John G. Wingfield and Elizabeth his wife are among defendants expressly described as not inhabitants of the Commonwealth. The surviving newspaper clipping publishes the order. Lynchburg Virginian, 7 December 1846, vol. 25, issue 37, p. 5; order dated 5 October 1846. |
| 1850 Possible match |
A Bedford household to investigate John Wingfield, 35, and Eliza Wingfield, 30, appear with six younger Wingfields in the Northern Division of Bedford County. Their identification as this couple remains unproved. Census extract preserved in the legacy research; original schedule and household relationships require verification. |
Explore the Records
The records below preserve Elizabeth’s established Amherst connections and the leads that may extend her story. Abstracts, a newspaper transcription, and an unconfirmed census household are identified separately.
1825–1832 · Guardianship & Family Identity
The younger-child bond in Amherst Will Book 6, p. 620, names Sally, Laurence, Oliver, and Elizabeth. It should be distinguished from the adjacent bond on p. 619, which concerns other siblings. The related 1828 references are in Will Book 7, pp. 145–146.
The supplied abstract of Nicholas’s later bond reads:
8:187 GB — NICHL. GUTHRIE, Thos. Wingfield, and NATHAN GUTRIE, 21 Mar 1832, for NG as gdn of SALLY, LAURENCE P; OLIVER, and ELIZ. GUTHRIE, orphans of WM. GUTHRIE.
This identifies Nicholas as guardian and Nathan among the bond parties. The word orphans in these records refers to children whose father had died; it does not establish that both parents were dead when the earlier bonds were made.
The family’s November 1828 estate references appear in Will Book 7, pp. 187–190. Those records and any intervening guardianship accounts should be consulted before assigning an exact date for the transfer of responsibility from Elizabeth’s mother.
The quotation is the retained record abstract, not a new transcription of the manuscript. A Wingfield/Dinglefield variation in the copied surety name should be checked against the original bond. The child Elizabeth’s identity is the central relationship preserved here.
1843 · Marriage to John G. Wingfield
Recorded date: 11 November 1843.
Place: Amherst County, Virginia.
Couple: John G. Wingfield and Elizabeth Guthrie.
Family abstract notation: “SW: Oliver Guthrie, Nathan Guthrie.”
The research profile lists Virginia, Marriages, 1740–1850 and Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785–1940. These indexed references support retrieval of the marriage record; repeated index entries should not be counted as separate original records.
The original bond, consent, license, and minister’s return should be examined together to distinguish the marriage date from any licensing or bond date and to identify Oliver’s and Nathan’s exact roles. They may also supply signatures, residence information, or a clue to John’s family.
The date and “SW” notation are preserved from the supplied research screenshot and legacy account. No newly inspected original marriage document is represented here.
1846 · Amherst Chancery Notice — Full Transcription
The notice names John G. Wingfield and Elizabeth his wife among the defendants in a suit brought by William T. Campbell and Samuel H. Quarles. Its nonresidence statement specifically includes this couple, Oliver Guthrie, and Alfred Guthrie.
VIRGINIA:—
At Rules held in the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery, for the County of Amherst, on Monday the 5th day of October, 1846:William T. Campbell and Samuel H. Quarles,
Plaintiffs,
against
Nicholas Guthrie, Nathan Guthrie, Susan L. Stockton, Sarah H. Guthrie, Lawrence P. Guthrie, Oliver Guthrie, Alfred Guthrie, John Guthrie, John G. Wingfield, and Elizabeth his wife, Creed Taylor and Mary Louisa Taylor, an infant under 21 years of age,
Defendants.IN CHANCERY.
The Defendants, Oliver Guthrie, Alfred Guthrie and John G. Wingfield and Elizabeth his wife, not having entered their appearance and given security according to the Act of Assembly and the Rules of this Court, and it appearing by satisfactory evidence that they are not inhabitants of this Commonwealth: It is ordered, that the said Defendants do appear here on the first Monday in February next, and answer the bill of the Plaintiffs; and that a copy of this order be forthwith inserted in some newspaper published in the town of Lynchburg, for two months successively, and posted at the front door of the Court-House of this County.
A Copy—Teste,
ROBERT TINSLEY, Clerk
November 23 w2m
Lynchburg Virginian, Monday, 7 December 1846, vol. 25, issue 37, p. 5. Transcribed from the preserved clipping; newspaper line breaks and line-end hyphenation have been normalized. “November 23” is printed at the foot of the advertisement; the court-rules date is 5 October.
What it establishes: John and Elizabeth were named together as husband and wife, and the court’s publication order described them as nonresidents of Virginia. This conclusion comes from the express wording of the notice, rather than merely from their failure to appear.
What remains unknown: Their location outside Virginia, the precise interest at issue in the case, and its outcome. The notice does not identify a destination, establish an estate-funded move, or rule out a later return to Virginia.
1850 · Bedford Household — Possible Match
The legacy research preserves the following household in the Northern Division of Bedford County, Virginia. The supplied research profile explicitly labels this a possible household match.
| Name | Age | Recorded Details |
|---|---|---|
| John Wingfield | 35 | Male; laborer; born Virginia. |
| Eliza Wingfield | 30 | Female; born Virginia. |
| John W. Wingfield | 15 | Male; laborer; born Virginia. |
| Harriet Wingfield | 12 | Female; born Virginia. |
| Susan Wingfield | 10 | Female; born Virginia. |
| Sally Wingfield | 8 | Female; born Virginia. |
| Henry Wingfield | 6 | Male; born Virginia. |
| Emma W. Wingfield | 3 | Female; born Virginia. |
Why it remains a lead: John and Eliza’s names are compatible, and Eliza’s age suggests a birth around 1820, within Elizabeth’s estimated range. John’s age is the basis of the proposed birth around 1815.
Why it is not yet a proved family: The extract does not connect this couple with the Amherst marriage, the Guthrie siblings, or the 1846 nonresident defendants. The four residents aged fifteen, twelve, ten, and eight were born before the recorded 1843 marriage. Their presence requires investigation; it does not establish a previous marriage or prove that any of them were this couple’s children.
The original schedule, adjacent households, later census entries, and Bedford and Amherst marriage, deed, tax, and probate records may establish or exclude the connection. A documented return to Virginia could reconcile the 1846 and 1850 locations, but no such return has yet been demonstrated.
This is a retained census extract, not a fresh transcription of the original schedule. A page, dwelling number, and family number were not supplied. None has been inferred.
Source Guide & Related Family Records
- Amherst County guardianships and estates: Will Book 6, pp. 619–621; Will Book 7, pp. 145–146 and 187–190; Will Book 8, p. 187. The younger Elizabeth’s 1825 bond is on p. 620.
- 1843 marriage: Retrieve the original documents behind the indexed John G. Wingfield–Elizabeth Guthrie entry dated 11 November 1843.
- 1846 chancery proceedings: Search for the complete Campbell and Quarles suit and related order-book entries. The bill, answers, exhibits, and decree may explain the parties’ family interests or provide an address.
- John Wingfield’s estate: The legacy research cites Franklin County Will Book 5, p. 178, January 1840, concerning Elizabeth’s maternal grandfather and the heirs of her mother, Elizabeth Guthrie. The complete division may clarify the daughter’s representation or share.
- 1850 census: Locate the original Northern Division, Bedford County schedule and follow each household member through independent records before assigning children to this couple.
The Library of Virginia’s Amherst County microfilm guide lists Will Book 6 on reel 19 and Will Books 7 and 8 on reel 20. These are Library of Virginia reel numbers, not FamilySearch film numbers.
Page research also incorporates the supplied Elizabeth Guthrie profile screenshot and the legacy Elizabeth Guthrie page. No obituary or burial notice for either spouse was available in those materials.
DNA & the Wider Guthrie Family
The family’s GFG1A connection is supported by John William Guthrie’s line, with its GFG1A modal Y-DNA and matching Augusta County, Virginia locations.
Elizabeth did not transmit her father’s Y chromosome. Guthrie Y-DNA and Big-Y evidence for this family therefore comes through direct male Guthrie lines elsewhere in the branch. A male-line Wingfield descendant would trace a different paternal line.
If Elizabeth and John’s children and descendants can be documented, autosomal DNA comparisons may provide additional evidence when evaluated with the family records. No identified descendant line or DNA result through this couple is presented here.
Most Wanted Documents
- The original 1843 marriage packet: Confirm the recorded date, signatures, sureties or witnesses, consent, and any residence information.
- John G. Wingfield’s parentage: Establish his identity and test the claimed cousin relationship through documented generations.
- The complete 1846 chancery file: Look for correspondence, depositions, addresses, and any explanation of the couple’s interest.
- A record linking the couple to a later household: A deed, probate entry, marriage record, family letter, or Bible entry could resolve the Bedford candidate or point elsewhere.
- Children, death, and burial records: Seek evidence naming the couple together or connecting a child directly to Elizabeth Guthrie Wingfield.
Keep the Story Growing
Help Build the Family Story
Elizabeth’s records connect the youngest named Guthrie daughter to her Amherst family and to John G. Wingfield. The 1846 notice carries their story beyond Virginia’s borders, but their next home and the family they may have raised remain to be discovered.
If your Guthrie or Wingfield papers mention this couple, please share letters, Bible entries, marriage records, estate papers, cemetery information, or newspaper notices. A record naming Elizabeth’s parents, siblings, or children could provide the connection needed to continue her story. Questions and corrections are welcome.
Researched and curated by Ann Guthrie · Guthrie Genealogy