1A-G: Susan L Guthrie
Guthrie Family Group 1A · Branch G · Child Page
Susan Guthrie& Preston Stockton
Amherst County, Virginia · Lafayette, Jackson & Saline Counties, Missouri
Susan Guthrie, daughter of William Guthrie and Elizabeth Wingfield, married Preston Stockton in Amherst County, Virginia. Their marriage record is dated 9 May 1831, with Campbell Franklin identified as her guardian and brothers Nicholas and Nathan Guthrie providing security.
Susan’s later story follows her west to Missouri, where she shared a household with her sister Sarah “Sallie” Guthrie for many years. Two newspaper notices report her sudden death in Miami, Saline County, in October 1886, and identify her as a sister of the Rev. Oliver Guthrie.
Family at a Glance
Marriage record: 9 May 1831
Amherst County, Virginia
Susan Guthrie
- Parents
- William Guthrie & Elizabeth Wingfield.
- Birth
- About 1810, Amherst County, Virginia. Census notes and the differing newspaper ages support an approximate date.
- Name
- Also recorded in the family research as Susan L. Guthrie. Her middle initial has not been expanded.
- Marriage
- Preston Stockton; Amherst record dated 9 May 1831.
- Later Household
- With siblings Nathan and Sarah in the Lafayette County research; later with Sarah in Westport. Recorded as widowed in the 1880 census entry.
- Death
- October 1886, Miami, Saline County, Missouri. The family date of 12 October remains provisional; the notices differ in timing and age.
- Burial
- Not yet identified.
Preston Stockton
- Parents
- Identified in the family research as Richard Stockton Jr. & Elizabeth Copeland; the supporting parentage record remains to be located.
- Birth
- About 1805, a working estimate within the broader 1801–1810 range. Franklin County, Virginia, is the proposed birthplace.
- Occupation
- Unknown.
- Marriage
- Susan Guthrie; Amherst record dated 9 May 1831.
- Later Life
- Not securely traced after the marriage record.
- Death
- Date and place unknown. Susan’s 1880 entry identifies her as a widow; an earlier death in the 1830s has not been established.
- Burial
- Unknown.
Children & Family Evidence
No children of Susan and Preston have yet been identified. The present record does not establish that they never had children.
Susan’s family connections appear in several independent records: the 1825 guardianship abstract, the 1831 marriage reference, Nathan’s will naming her as his sister, and the death notices identifying her as Oliver’s sister.
The 1832 bond in which Nicholas became guardian of four younger siblings does not name Susan as a ward. Its wards were Sally, Laurence P., Oliver, and Elizabeth; Nathan was a surety.
Historical Highlights
Sisters, shared homes, and a Missouri life
Susan’s early records belong to the Amherst family’s guardianship years. After her father’s death, her mother Elizabeth became guardian of Susan and three siblings. By Susan’s 1831 marriage, Campbell Franklin was acting as her guardian, while Nicholas and Nathan provided security for the bond.
Preston’s later life remains sparsely documented. Susan’s record trail becomes clearer in Missouri, where the 1850 research places her with Nathan and Sarah. In his 1849 will, Nathan had named the two sisters as equal beneficiaries and appointed Susan executrix.
Following Nathan’s death in 1858, Susan and Sarah continued together in the Westport census records of 1860, 1870, and 1880. These entries preserve a long association between the sisters without explaining every change in their household or finances.
By October 1886, Susan was in Miami. One death notice describes her own home there; another places her at Oliver’s residence. Both report that she died suddenly while attending to her room. Neither notice identifies her burial place.
Family Timeline
| Date | Event & Evidence |
|---|---|
| About 1810 | Birth in VirginiaSusan’s birth is placed in Amherst County. Her census ages and the newspaper reports support an approximate year rather than an exact birth date.Sources: retained census notes and the two 1886 death notices. |
| 19 Sep 1825 | Elizabeth’s guardianship bondSusan is named with Nicholas, Lucy, and Nathan as an orphan of William Guthrie under Elizabeth Guthrie’s guardianship.Source: Amherst County Will Book 6, p. 619; retained abstract. |
| 9 May 1831 | Marriage record with Preston StocktonThe Amherst reference names Campbell Franklin as Susan’s guardian and Nicholas and Nathan Guthrie as sureties.Source: supplied marriage abstract and indexed marriage references. |
| 23 Oct 1849 | Named in Nathan’s willNathan makes Susan Stockton and Sarah Guthrie his beneficiaries and appoints Susan executrix.Source: Nathan Guthrie’s will, Amherst County Will Book 14, p. 585. |
| 1850 | Lafayette County, MissouriThe retained census notes place Susan, about forty, with Nathan and Sarah in District 46.Source lead: 1850 U.S. census, Lafayette County, Missouri, p. 246a. |
| 1858 | Nathan’s death and probateNathan’s reported death date is 27 April. His will was proved and ordered recorded in Amherst in July 1858, preserving Susan’s appointment as executrix.Sources: Nathan’s reported Westport headstone dates and the court endorsement beneath his will. |
| 1860 | A Westport household with SarahThe retained extraction places Susan, about fifty, and her sister in Westport, Jackson County.Source lead: 1860 U.S. census, Westport, p. 243. |
| 1870 | The sisters remain togetherSusan and Sarah continue in the Westport research. The supplied tree entry identifies Independence as the post office, which should not be substituted for the residence locality.Source lead: 1870 U.S. census, Westport, p. 340B. |
| 1880 | Recorded as a widowThe supplied census entry identifies Susan as widowed and head of household in Westport; the family notes continue to associate Sarah with her.Source lead: 1880 U.S. census, Westport, enumeration district 41, p. 226D. |
| Oct 1886 | Sudden death in MiamiTwo notices identify Susan as Oliver Guthrie’s sister and place her death in Miami. Their differing ages and timing are retained in the transcriptions below.Sources: Post-Dispatch telegram dated October 12; notice captioned Saline County Weekly Progress, 16 October 1886, p. 3. |
Explore the Records
The marriage reference, Nathan’s will, and Susan’s death notices connect her married name to the Guthrie family. The census sequence follows her Missouri years, while Preston’s later life remains the principal gap.
1831 · Susan Guthrie & Preston Stockton
The supplied marriage abstract gives 9 May 1831, Amherst County, Virginia, for Susan Guthrie and Preston Stockton. It identifies Campbell Franklin as guardian and Nicholas Guthrie and Nathan Guthrie as sureties.
The supporting indexes listed in the research include Virginia Marriages, 1740–1850 and Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785–1940. Repeated index entries may describe the same underlying record rather than separate evidence.
The original bond, consent, and any minister’s return should be obtained together. The retained date is used here as the marriage-record date; a return would establish the ceremony date independently.
Sources: supplied research screenshot and marriage-bond reference retained on the legacy page. No unverified FamilySearch film number is used here.
Preston Stockton · Parentage & the Missing Later Record
The family research identifies Preston’s parents as Richard Stockton Jr. and Elizabeth Copeland, with a proposed Franklin County, Virginia, origin. A will, deed, marriage document, or other record explicitly connecting Preston to them is still needed for this page.
A male aged twenty to twenty-nine in Elizabeth Stockton’s 1830 Franklin County household has been proposed as Preston. Because that census does not name the household’s other residents, the identification remains a candidate.
The earlier estimate that Preston died between 1831 and 1840 rested largely on the failure to find a separate 1840 household. That does not establish a death date. Susan’s 1880 entry provides a later record of widowhood, but the place and date of Preston’s death and burial remain unknown.
1850–1880 · Susan’s Missouri Census Trail
The following details preserve the family’s existing census extractions and locators. The supplied screenshot confirms the sequence of residences and the 1880 widowhood entry; the complete original schedules should be checked before treating every age, value, and indexed name as settled.
| Year | Residence & Household Notes | Record Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | District 46, Lafayette County. Susan, age 40, associated with Nathan or Nathaniel Guthrie and Sarah Guthrie. | Roll 403; p. 246a. |
| 1860 | Westport, Jackson County. Susan, age 50, with Sarah. The retained extraction gives $1,000 real estate and $200 personal estate. | M653, roll 625; p. 243. |
| 1870 | Westport, Jackson County; Independence post office. Susan, age 60, with Sarah; keeping house in the retained notes. | M593, roll 781; p. 340B. |
| 1880 | Westport, Jackson County. Susan, age 70 in the retained extraction; widowed and head of household in the supplied entry, with Sarah associated in the family notes. | Roll 694; ED 41; p. 226D. |
The research notes flag possible confusion between Susan and Sarah in an 1880 transcription. Comparing both women’s entries with the manuscript will help resolve it. Nathan’s will supplies their explicit relationship to him: Susan and Sarah were his sisters.
1849–1858 · Susan in Nathan Guthrie’s Will
In his will dated 23 October 1849, Nathan named Susan Stockton and Sarah Guthrie as his two sisters and equal beneficiaries. He appointed Susan executrix and provided for the survivor if either sister died before him.
The will included enslaved Abraham, Sarah, and Sarah’s four children in its intended bequest, together with Nathan’s other property and interests. The document records his intentions; it does not show what Susan eventually received or whether she qualified and acted as executrix.
The Amherst endorsement records proof of the will in July 1858, with the retained abstract giving 19 July. Estate accounts and distribution papers would clarify the administration in Virginia and any related proceedings in Missouri.
Source: Amherst County Will Book 14, p. 585, recorded will and endorsement.
Death Notice · “Dropped Dead”
Transcription:
Dropped Dead.
By Telegraph to the Post-Dispatch.
MARSHALL, Mo., October 12.—Mrs. Susan Stockton, aged 76 years, sister of Rev. Oliver Guthrie, County School Examiner, dropped dead at her home in Miami while making her bed.
What it establishes: The report identifies Susan as Oliver’s sister and places the death in Miami. Marshall is the telegram’s dateline. The printed October 12 date belongs to the dispatch and does not, by itself, establish the day of death.
Source: archived clipping headed “Dropped Dead,” with “By Telegraph to the Post-Dispatch” and a Marshall, October 12 dateline. The family research associates it with October 1886; the crop does not include the issue masthead, year, or page number. Capitalization and line breaks have been normalized.
Death Notice · Saline County Weekly Progress
Transcription:
—Mrs. Susan Stockton, aged 77 years, suddenly fell dead in Miami, Mo., Monday morning while tidying up her room at the residence of her brother Rev. Oliver Guthrie.
What it adds: This account places Susan at her brother’s residence, gives her age as seventy-seven, and specifies Monday morning.
Source: archived clipping captioned Saline County Weekly Progress, Saturday, 16 October 1886, p. 3. The issue information comes from the retained caption; the crop itself contains only the notice. Line-end hyphenation has been joined.
Reconciling the Two Death Notices
Place: Both notices say Miami, Missouri. That supports correcting the death locality from Marshall to Miami, Saline County.
Day: The family tree gives 12 October 1886, a Tuesday. If the second notice’s 16 October 1886 issue date is correct, its reference to Monday morning points to 11 October. The October 12 telegram could have reported the previous day’s death. Until the full issues are checked, October 1886 is the safest display date, with 12 October retained as the family’s provisional date.
Age and household: One notice gives seventy-six and describes her home; the other gives seventy-seven and specifies Oliver’s residence. Both versions are preserved rather than silently combined. Neither supplies a cause of death or burial location.
Earlier Virginia Households & Estate References
- 1810 family census leads: William Guthrie’s Amherst County household, roll 66, p. 277; Richard Stockton’s Franklin County household, roll 68, p. 315. The retained abstracts report nine and sixteen enslaved people respectively. These schedules require original-page review and do not name Susan or Preston individually.
- 19 September 1825: Amherst Will Book 6, p. 619, names Susan, Nicholas, Lucy, and Nathan in Elizabeth Guthrie’s guardianship bond. Related family entries occupy pp. 619–621.
- 17 March 1828: Amherst Will Book 7, pp. 145–146, preserves a further Elizabeth Guthrie guardianship reference.
- 17 November 1828: Amherst Will Book 7, pp. 187–190, contains references to the administration of William’s remaining estate and Elizabeth’s own estate.
- 1840 household lead: Nicholas Guthrie’s Amherst census household, retained citation p. 214. Susan’s presence has been proposed, but unnamed age categories cannot establish that she lived there or was then a widow.
- January 1840: Franklin County Will Book 5, p. 178, division of John Wingfield’s estate including the heirs of Elizabeth Guthrie. Check the full entry for individual heirs and distributions.
These are retained research references and abstractions, not newly verified readings of every original page. The Library of Virginia’s Amherst guide lists Will Book 6 on reel 19, Books 7 and 8 on reel 20, and Nathan’s Will Book 14 on reel 22. Those are Library of Virginia reel numbers.
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.
Susan did not transmit her father’s Y chromosome. Guthrie Y-DNA and Big-Y evidence therefore comes through direct male lines elsewhere in the family. A descendant connection through Susan would depend on documentary research and, where useful, autosomal DNA.
No children or descendant test evidence through Susan and Preston have been identified for this page.
Most Wanted Documents
- The complete 1831 marriage papers: Bond, guardian’s consent, license, and minister’s return for Susan Guthrie and Preston Stockton.
- Preston’s parentage and later life: A Stockton will, deed, tax record, probate file, or other document naming him and connecting the 1831 groom to a later record.
- The original Missouri census households: Complete pages for 1850–1880, including the Susan/Sarah indexing question and all other residents.
- Nathan’s estate settlement: Susan’s qualification, accounts, and distributions, including records of the enslaved people named in the will.
- The complete October 1886 newspaper issues: Confirm the publication dates, resolve the Monday/October 12 question, and look for a funeral or burial follow-up.
- Susan’s burial and the couple’s children: Cemetery, church, Bible, probate, or family correspondence that identifies her resting place or any children of the marriage.
Keep the Story Growing
Help Build the Family Story
Susan’s records preserve enduring connections with Nathan, Sarah, and Oliver, from the Amherst marriage papers to her final years in Missouri. Records of Preston’s later life, any children, and Susan’s burial could add much to that story.
If your Guthrie or Stockton research includes this couple, please share the records or family recollections you have found. Complete images, dates, and source details help connect discoveries and resolve conflicting accounts. Questions and corrections are welcome.
Researched and curated by Ann Guthrie · Guthrie Genealogy