The Family Focus series spotlights ungrouped Guthrie family lineages or notable historical figures whose connections remain uncertain or unproven. Genetic genealogy can solve many family mysteries, but time itself can be a challenge. Over 500 years separate us from Margaret Guthrie‘s time, making it statistically unlikely that two living descendants will share enough detectable autosomal DNA to show up as a match, often approaching 0% shared. Under circumstances where DNA can’t provide a big reveal, we have to go back to the basics of traditional genealogy research: dig into the archives, brush up on historical facts, and rule out the errors that have conflated the lineages in our family trees. It’s time to turn our focus on: Margaret Guthrie of Lunan.

Margaret Guthrie: Lunan Tenancy to Carnegie Matriarch

Margaret Guthrie of Lunan (c. 1508–1515, centered on ~1512 – died April 1571)
Spouse: Sir Robert Carnegie, 5th of Kinnaird (c. 1510/1513 – 5 January 1565)

Margaret Guthrie of Lunan is a pivotal figure in 16th-century Scottish genealogy. She represents the Guthries of Lunan—a tenancy-based branch holding ecclesiastical lands from Arbroath Abbey—distinct from the baronial Guthries of that Ilk despite geographic proximity in Angus. Contemporary records consistently describe her only as “daughter of Guthrie of Lunan” (or “Guthrie of Lunan”) without naming her father or mother. No siblings or maternal line are documented, typical of female-line gaps in pre-1600 Scottish sources.

Documented Ties to Lunan and Carnegie Residences

Margaret’s life was rooted in the parish of Lunan (also Easter Lunan or Inverlunan) in Angus (historic Forfarshire), a coastal hamlet overlooking Lunan Bay on the North Sea. Located approximately 6 km (3.7 miles) south of Montrose and 12 km (7.5 miles) north of Arbroath, Lunan was prime ecclesiastical land belonging to Arbroath Abbey since a 1189 charter by William the Lion. The Guthries held these as long-term tenants/leaseholders rather than hereditary proprietors—non-baronial status that distinguished them from landed cadet branches like Hiltoun.

After marriage, Margaret resided primarily at Kinnaird Castle, near Brechin in the same county of Angus (roughly 20–25 miles inland from Lunan). The Carnegies had held Kinnaird since the early 15th century; Sir Robert rebuilt and expanded the castle c. 1555. The union thus linked abbey tenancy networks in coastal Lunan with inland baronial estates, strengthening Carnegie holdings through dower rights (e.g., Cookstoun) and post-Reformation land acquisitions.

Refined Birth Estimate

One key factor in determining Margaret Guthrie’s true lineage and parentage is her birth date. There is no vital record or other documentation that provides a specific date or year. All family trees and online sources must be considered an estimate. These range from 1493 – 1515. Let’s narrow that down using known or calculated dates, era-standard age ranges for marriage, and child-bearing years.

Margaret’s birth is estimated at c. 1508–1515, centering on ~1512. This range is derived from two firm anchors:

• The documented marriage contract: On 12 June 1527, Sir Robert Carnegie resigned the lands of Cookstoun (Cookston) to himself and “Margaret Guthrie, his spouse,” granting her conjunct infeftment (joint liferent/dower rights). This is the earliest surviving evidence of the union.
• The couple’s 16 children (8 sons and 8 daughters, per Fraser’s History of the Carnegies, 1867): First children likely born ~1528–1530; last children ~1554–1560 (with Christian and William still minors or specially provided for in Robert’s 1 April 1557 will).

Scottish gentry women typically married at 14–22 and bore children across a 20–30-year span. A ~1512 birth places Margaret at ~15 at marriage and ~16–20 at her first birth—standard for the era—while allowing her to reach ~42–48 at her last birth. She died in April 1571 (will dated 10 April), aged ~56–63. Earlier speculative dates (~1493) create implausible late-first-marriage and extended-fertility scenarios unsupported by charters or wills. This timeline aligns with WikiTree, the Guthrie DNA Project synthesis, and primary sources.

Background and Parental Origins

Lunan (also called Easter Lunan or Inverlunan) is a coastal parish in Angus overlooking Lunan Bay on the North Sea, approximately 6 km south of Montrose and 12 km north of Arbroath. The lands had been granted to the abbey by William the Lion in 1189 and were feued out as early as 1428.

The Guthries of Lunan appear in abbey records as leaseholders with local standing, not as hereditary barons. Key documented tenancy timeline:

• ~1428: Feu farm to William de Guthrie.
• 1496: 19-year lease to Robert Guthrie.
• 1512: Renewal to James Guthrie (likely Robert’s son/heir).
• 1526: Lease to John Guthrie.

The tenancy ended in 1544 when Cardinal Beaton feued Lunan to John Stewart, 4th Lord Innermeath. (For the full tenancy history and later 17th-century repurchase, see the dedicated research page: Guthrie of Lunan.)

Margaret’s exact parentage is undocumented in any charter, testament, or peerage record. The documented Lunan leaseholders provide the best circumstantial evidence. Considering Margaret’s estimated birth around 1512:

• William de Guthrie (~1428): Unlikely candidate. He received the original feu farm in the early 15th century and was active by 1450. By 1512 he would have been elderly or long deceased.

• Robert Guthrie (1496 lease): Strongest candidate. He held the 19-year lease throughout the decade leading up to Margaret’s likely birth, making him the most plausible head of the Lunan tenancy household at the right time.

• James Guthrie (1512 lease): Less likely. The lease was renewed to him as “likely Robert’s son/heir,” indicating generational succession around the exact year of Margaret’s birth. He was probably a young adult assuming responsibility — a better fit as an older brother or uncle than as her father.

• John Guthrie (1526 lease): Possible but unlikely. He held the lease the year before Margaret’s 1527 marriage and may have been an older brother or uncle. Importantly, this John Guthrie of Lunan is not the same individual as John Guthrie, 1st of Hiltoun — a frequent source of name conflation and erroneous online trees.

Quick Reference Details (for context):
Lunan: Coastal hamlet overlooking Lunan Bay on the North Sea (~56.65°N, 2.51°W).
Kinnaird Castle: Inland baronial seat near Brechin (~56.70°N, 2.60°W).
Guthrie Castle: Inland, in the Lunan Water valley east of Forfar (~56.64°N, 2.72°W).

Ruling Out Theorized Connections to Hiltoun and Guthrie of that Ilk

No primary documentation supports the claims found in many online trees (Ancestry, Geni, FamilySearch, Geneanet) that Margaret was the daughter of John Guthrie, 1st of Hiltoun (sometimes called “John Guthrie of Esse” prior to his acquisition of Hiltoun of Guthrie), with a mother named Margaret or Elizabeth Ogilvy.

The Hiltoun line was a cadet branch of the main baronial Guthries of that Ilk (centered at Guthrie Castle near Forfar). John Guthrie, 1st of Hiltoun, likely died around 1507—before or around Margaret’s probable birth window—creating an impossible timeline match. There is no documented land, charter, or family connection between the separate Lunan abbey tenancy and the Hiltoun or main Guthrie of that Ilk holdings. WikiTree correctly notes: “Her parentage is unknown. Some speculate that she was a daughter of John Guthrie, 1st of Hiltoun, but known records do not include her ancestry.” Fraser’s History of the Carnegies, Warden’s Angus or Forfarshire, and The Scots Peerage all name her solely as daughter of Guthrie of Lunan. These unsupported links distort Carnegie descendant lines and overlook the genuine historical importance of the Lunan tenancy alliance.

Her Life, Marriage, and Sir Robert Carnegie

Margaret’s marriage to Sir Robert Carnegie was contracted before (and evidenced on) 12 June 1527, when Robert resigned the lands of Cookstoun to himself and “Margaret Guthrie, his spouse,” granting her conjunct infeftment for dower rights. This strategic union linked the coastal abbey tenancy of Lunan with the inland Carnegie barony at Kinnaird Castle (near Brechin, roughly 20–25 miles from Lunan).

Sir Robert Carnegie (c. 1510/1513–1565) was a rising figure in 16th-century Scotland: diplomat (ambassador to England and France), Senator of the College of Justice (1547), Privy Councillor, and loyal servant to Mary of Guise and Queen Mary. He rebuilt and expanded Kinnaird Castle around 1555 and acquired extensive estates. He died on 5 January 1565 at Leuchars and was buried there.

Margaret survived her husband by six years. She played a key administrative role as executrix of his will (originally dated 1 April 1557 and revised on his deathbed), managing the estate inventory (valued at around £2,600 Scots) and ensuring provisions for their children amid the political and religious changes of the Reformation. Her active widowhood highlights the legal agency available to 16th-century Scottish women of gentry status. She died in April 1571; her own will (dated 10 April) appointed sons Sir John and David as executors.

Family and Children

Sir Robert and Margaret had eight sons and eight daughters. Below is the probable birth order with estimated years, based on charters, marriage contracts, the 1557 will, and typical gentry timelines.

Death & Burial

Sir Robert Carnegie, 5th of Kinnaird, died before his wife, Margaret.
Died: 5 January 1565/66, i.e. 5 January 1566 modernized
Place of death: probably Leuchars Castle, Leuchars, Fife, Scotland
Buried: Church of Leuchars, now St Athernase Church, Leuchars, Fife, Scotland

“Sir Robert made two wills, one on 1 April 1557, and the other on the day of his death, 5 January 1565-66.” (The Scots Peerage)

The second will was written by Mr. Jhone Ure, minister at “Luchris” — i.e. Leuchars — and was confirmed by the Commissary of Edinburgh on 26 June 1566. (The Scots Peerage)

Death place: probably Leuchars, Fife, more specifically often stated as Leuchars Castle, but I would label this as memorial/tradition-supported unless you obtain the will or tomb inscription image/transcription directly.
Modern church heritage descriptions say Robert Carnegie died in Leuchars Castle and identify his memorial at St Athernase Church, Leuchars. Visit North Fife says he “died in 1565 in Leuchars castle,” and Britain Express describes “a simple slab to Robert Carnegie of Kinnaird, who died at nearby Leuchars Castle in 1565.” 

Burial location: church of Leuchars / St Athernase Church, Leuchars, Fife.
This is directly stated in The Scots Peerage: “Sir Robert, who was buried in the church of Leuchars…” The present church is St Athernase Church, and modern site descriptions identify a Robert Carnegie slab/memorial there. 

Margaret (Guthrie) Carnegie, Lady Kinnaird‘s death location is not found documented in any primary source. Note that many online trees have listed Perth / Perthshire as her death place, but these same user-submitted trees place Kinnaird in Perth rather than near Brechin in Angus (Forfarshire).

Margaret’s will was dated 10 April 1571. No location is documented at the time of its writing. The strongest lead for finding the original is the Southesk/Carnegie family muniments in the NRAS792 material, but those records are marked privately held/restricted in the NRS catalogue, so the online catalogue does not appear to give the will’s full wording or place clause.

Margaret’s death occurred after 10 April 1571; death place not proven; burial place not proven.

Summary

Margaret Guthrie of Lunan was a woman of quiet but lasting historical significance. Born into the non-baronial Guthrie tenancy at Lunan, she married strategically into the rising Carnegie family in 1527, forging an alliance that strengthened both lines during a turbulent century. No documented evidence connects her to John Guthrie, 1st of Hiltoun, or the main Guthries of that Ilk; she remains firmly “daughter of Guthrie of Lunan.” As wife, mother of sixteen children, and executrix of Sir Robert Carnegie’s estate after his death in 1565, Margaret demonstrated the practical authority and resilience of 16th-century Scottish widows. Her story anchors many later Carnegie noble lines—including the Earls of Southesk and Northesk—while highlighting the real Lunan tenancy heritage rather than speculative baronial links.

Further Research Opportunities

Although no verified male-line Guthrie of Lunan descendants are documented beyond the 16th century, several promising avenues remain for traditional research:

• Professional assistance – Consider a researcher through the Scottish Genealogy Society or the Association of Professional Genealogists for targeted searches in unpublished manuscript collections.

• ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk – Search the Register of Testaments, Sasines, and Retours for any later 16th- or 17th-century Guthries associated with Lunan or nearby parishes.

• National Records of Scotland (NRS) – Request Arbroath Abbey charters and the Register of the Great Seal for additional tenancy or land transactions.

• Angus Archives (Forfar) – Local records, estate papers, and kirk session minutes often contain references not digitized online.

• Old Parish Records (OPRs) – A David Guthrie was baptized in 1660 in Lunan, son of John Guthrie and Jan. Lamb. This falls squarely within the later 1598–1667 repurchase of Lunan lands by another John Guthrie line. While this David is a plausible candidate for the tenant at Cookston (progenitor of Guthrie Family Group 17 / GFG17), no contemporary documents have yet confirmed the link. Further research into sasines, testaments, or kirk session records from Lunan, Brechin, and Menmuir could potentially strengthen or refute a connection between the later Lunan Guthries and the 17th-century Cookston tenants.

These steps offer the best chance of uncovering additional details about the Lunan Guthries and potentially strengthening the historical record around Margaret.

Prioritize 19th-century histories for compiled charters; modern analyses for critiques. These cover Lunan lands, Guthrie branches, and Carnegie ascents.

1. Warden, Alexander (1884). Angus or Forfarshire: The Land and People, Descriptive and Historical (Vol. 4).
   • Context: Detailed Lunan timeline (pp.246–249), including 1428 feu to William de Guthrie and 1496–1526 leases. Mentions Margaret’s marriage briefly.
   • Implications: Best for tenancy vs. barony contrasts; nuances abbey dependencies. Edge: Victorian biases in legends (e.g., Wallace ties).
   • Access: Free on Internet Archive; physical reprints via reprint services.
2. Fraser, William (1867). History of the Carnegies, Earls of Southesk, and of Their Kindred (2 Vols).
   • Context: Comprehensive Carnegie pedigree (Vol.1, pp.35–50 on Sir Robert/Margaret; 8 sons/8 daughters). Includes charters, wills, and expansions.
   • Implications: Traces Southesk/Northesk from David Carnegie; highlights Margaret’s executrix role. Edge: Focuses on male lines, minimizing female details.
   • Access: NLS Digital Library (free PDFs); limited reprints.
3. Jervise, Andrew (1853). The History and Traditions of the Land of the Lindsays in Angus and Mearns.
   • Context: Angus context, including Carnegie alliances (p.195 on marriage) and Lunan folklore.
   • Implications: Ties to local legends; useful for social history. Edge: Antiquarian style—speculative without citations.
   • Access: NLS Digital (free); Google Books snippets.
4. Balfour Paul, James (1904–1914). The Scots Peerage (Vol. 8, Southesk).
   • Context: Peerage entry on Carnegies; confirms Margaret as “daughter of Guthrie of Lunan.”
   • Implications: Authoritative for titles/descents; clarifies Bruce links via Ilk Guthries. Edge: Corrects earlier errors but omits Lunan depth.
   • Access: Free on Internet Archive; modern reprints.
5. Old Parish Registers (Lunan, 1660) on ScotlandsPeople – Baptism of David Guthrie, son of John Guthrie and Jan. Lamb, recorded in Lunan parish, Forfarshire (Angus), 1660.
   • Context: This record falls squarely within the later 1598–1667 repurchase of Lunan lands by another John Guthrie line.
   • Implications: The David baptized in 1660 is a plausible candidate for the tenant at Cookston (progenitor of Guthrie Family Group 17 / GFG17). It raises the possibility of a connection between the later Lunan Guthries and the 17th-century Cookston tenants, although no contemporary documents have yet confirmed the link.
   • Access: Searchable (free index) at ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk under Old Parish Registers > Births and Baptisms (Lunan parish). Viewing the original image requires credits; the parish number is 305.

Online Resources and Tools

Digital platforms for records, communities, and visuals. Free tiers suffice for basics; subscriptions unlock full access.

1. ScotlandsPeople (National Records of Scotland): Wills, testaments, OPRs (old parish registers from 1553), and retours.
   • Implications: Essential for 1571 will/1565 inventory; search “Guthrie Lunan” variants. Edge: Pre-1550 sparse; fees for downloads.
   • Access: Free search; pay-per-view images.
2. WikiTree/Geni/The Peerage: Collaborative trees for Margaret (WikiTree: unknown parents; Geni: speculative William).
   • Implications: Crowd-sourced links to Carnegie descendants; flag conflations (e.g., Ilk mix-ups). Edge: User errors common—cite primaries.
   • Access: Free; contribute edits.
3. Guthrie DNA Project (FamilyTreeDNA): Y-DNA for Angus lines; multiple clusters.
   • Implications: Test for Lunan/Ilk matches; bridges ungrouped families. Edge: Limited participants from Lunan descendants.
   • Access: Join free; kits $99+.
4. National Library of Scotland (NLS) Digital/Maps: Charters, Pont maps (1590s Angus), and peerage PDFs.
   • Implications: Visualize Lunan proximity; download Fraser/Warden. Edge: Maps pre-date some estates.
   • Access: Free.
5. Internet Archive/Google Books: Full-text Warden/Fraser; search “Guthrie Lunan Carnegie.”
   • Implications: Accessible Victorian sources; OCR for keyword searches. Edge: Scan quality varies.
   • Access: Free.
6. RootsChat/Clan Forums: Angus genealogy discussions; query Lunan ties.
   • Implications: Community insights on edge cases (e.g., Hiltoun speculation). Edge: Anecdotal—verify.
   • Access: Free registration.

This list provides a balanced starting point, blending archival depth with modern tools. For personalized research, consider hiring a Scottish genealogist via NRS or Association of Professional Genealogists.

If you uncover new links, share with the Guthrie Genealogy blog to update this Family Focus!

^{Article created using traditional research and assisted by Grok AI}