With Easter celebrations just days away —those joyful family gatherings, egg hunts, and meals that remind us how traditions bind generations—we’re stepping into spring with renewed energy for our shared research. As always, this month’s update brings the latest DNA matches and exciting Big Y breakthroughs that continue to clarify our paternal Guthrie lines and open new doors to distant cousins. You’ll also find several user-friendly website enhancements designed to help with your Guthrie research.

BUNNY TRAILS: HIPPITY HOP HOP HOPPING

Here’s a little update on me. At the beginning of February, I fell down the stairs breaking both legs, one of which required surgery. I was hospitalized for 20 days! The staff took great care of me, but I was definitely ready to go home. After several weeks, I’m still hopping around on one foot with a walker for balance. (I can’t be trusted with crutches). I’ll get the news this week if I can start putting weight on my surgical leg. Probably another few weeks before I am power-walking at work again. In the meantime, I’m catching up here at Guthrie Genealogy. A couple of pending DNA kit reviews have been completed, articles, website art, content expansion, Big-Y analysis, have all been checked off my ‘To Do List’.

RECENT BLOG ARTICLES:

• Scots in Rotterdam
  • Rotterdam was a common trading port for Scots and became a place of exile and refuge.
  • Key to the genetic origins of GFG2C: Descendants of Robert Guthrie / Elizabeth Jane Caldwell?
• Family Finder: Margaret Guthrie of Lunan
  • The focus is on Margaret Guthrie (born late 1400s) and her husband Sir Robert Carnegie.
  • A discussion on her family and the Guthries of Lunan.
• A Matter of Religion
  • History has placed Guthries at the center of religion, religious doctrine, and religious persecution.
  • A study of the religious choices of your Guthrie ancestors may help trace them.
• Texians & Texans
  • Guthries settled in Texas long before it became part of the United States.
  • An exploration of early Guthries in Mexican Texas, the Republic of Texas, and the state of Texas.

WEBSITE CONTENT ADDITIONS & UPDATES

• Reading & Resources – Section Update
  • BIO: Sir David Guthrie – new biographical sketch added
  • Research by Location – extended data.
    • Content now available for all US States and many countries/areas around the world.
    • Data could be as detailed as actual documents or transcripts of Guthrie-related content.
    • Links to research sites, recommended reading, or suggestions for further research
• Groups & Social Media – page updated
  • A section for Guthrie-associated charities and foundations was added

PROJECT MEMBER RECOMMENDED VIDEO (You Tube):

The Sure-footed Guthrie | The Covenanter Story: Part 1 – (13 minutes)
The first of a three-part video series by Banner of Truth on The Covenanters.
This part focuses on Rev. James Guthrie, Minister of Sterling.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUPS (1 – 19)

• GFG3A – Branch B: Lineage Extended
  • Autosomal DNA testing appears to extend the lineage of William Guthrie of Harperland (Ayrshire, SCT)
    • Probable Parents: George Guthrie (1728-1802SCT) and Margaret Bowie
  • Y-DNA testing is still required for verification, but the Autosomal DNA Results skew strongly toward this result. If correct, there are additional earlier generations theorized for this line.

• GFG 18 and 19: Data Entry Complete
  • GFG18: Guthries of Mondooey, County Donegal, Ireland
  • GFG19: Guthries of Aberdeenshire and Inverness-shire, Scotland

BIG-Y UPDATES

• GFG1A – Branch B: The Middlesex VA Guthries – 2 Guthrie men with Big-Y upgrades. (1 pending).
• GFG2A – Branch K: Descendants of Robert Guttery / Elizabeth (MNU). Results are in.
• GFG8 – Comparison of Guthrie vs Vaughan surname matches in Big-Y.
• GFG11 – Comparison of Guthrie vs Ballou/Ballew surname matches in Big-Y.

REMINDER:
Big-Y DNA testing provides prehistorical and historical connections as it traces the Human Family Tree.
It provides a more detailed and exact timeframe of when modern family branches diverged from their Most Recent Common Ancestor (direct paternal line), and when any “Other Surname” individuals show up in the family tree.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 1A – BIG-Y TESTING UPDATE

Looks like there is an update to my update in progress. Out of nearly 30 men in GFG1 with Y-DNA tests, only 2 had tested at the Big-Y level. One each from Branches A and G, with one other genetic match of the Godfrey. We had no participants at the Big-Y level from Branch B: The Middlesex, VA line, which represents the majority of lineages within GFG1 as a whole.

Finally, we have 2 upgrades. One man descends from Garritt Guthrie (result ready), and the other from Henry Guthrie (result pending).

When the results were first posted for Kit 867625 (Garritt Guthrie), it showed the following:

The RED icon represents the Most Recent Common Ancestor for our GFG1A men. Ancestor R-FT13875 was predicted to be born around 1341 CE. The top right icon is Branch B, then Branch G. This shows they don’t share a common ancestor earlier than 1341. The bottom two icons on the right are the Branch A (Craigie) line and our Godfrey surname match. They share a more recent ancestor in the 1600s than they do with the Branches B and G.

Looking at the same chart today, our Kit 867625 (Garritt Guthrie) shows that they are updating the Haplogroup for both this kit and the Branch G Kit to R-FT13535. The Match Time Tree (Chart) will be updated by FTDNA within a few weeks. So, we’ll have to see how this updates the configuration of the branches.

We’re also waiting on the results of that other Branch B (Henry Guthrie/Penelope Johnson) descendant for comparison.

Next Steps:
Additional volunteers for Big-Y testing from other branches of GFG1A.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 2A – BIG-Y TESTING UPDATE

Next up is GFG2A – Branch K (Descendant of Robert Guttery/Elizabeth MNU) / Kit 1035005
Assigned to Haplogroup R-FTD48772 – estimated birth about 1678.

This Guthrie (b.1678) is projected to be the MRCA of lineages: Adam Guthrie/Mercy Irwin (assigned to Branch B), Robert Guthrie/Castilla Simpson (assigned to Branch C), John Guthery/Lydia Baldwin (assigned to Branch D), and now Robert Guttery/Elizabeth MNU (assigned to Branch K).

This Guthrie ancestor R-FTD48772 (b.1678) is projected to be a descendant of R-FTD50650 (born abt. 1630), who is the ancestor of John Guthrie/Ann Hill (Branch H).

That person descends from R-BY107525 (born about 1604) from which the James Guthrie Sr/Elizabeth MNU (Branch A line descends). Note that Branch A James Guthrie Sr is supposed to be a younger brother or nephew of Branch H John Guthrie. This configuration suggests that they share a grandfather rather than father.

Next Steps:
We’re still missing a lot of key branches for Big-Y testing in order to determine whether the family clusters associated by their Origin Stories match up with the genetic distances being projected. For example: Branch B: William Guthrie/Elizabeth Barnett descendants; Branch F: John Guthrie/Abigal Coe descendants; Branch E: Robert Guthrie/Bridget Dougherty descendants.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 8 – BIG-Y TESTING UPDATE

Guthrie – Vaughan Matches

Thomas Guthrie (1711-1786) and Mary Cason are the earliest traceable couple in Guthrie Family Group 8. This group is believed to be the result of a Non-Paternal Event (false paternity, adoption, name changes) occurring in Ireland or Colonial Virginia either at the time of Thomas’ conception or in an earlier generation.

There are 5 project participants participating in Big-Y testing. Three are Guthrie men. Two are Vaughn/Vaughan men that match the GFG8 genetic profile. Not included here are men of the Carter surname who also match the GFG8 genetic profile at the Y111 level who have not upgraded to a Big-Y test.

The MRCA of the Guthrie branches appears to have been born about 1657 CE. Their MRCA with the Vaughan branches is back in 1305 CE.

The MRCA of the Guthrie-Vaughan lineages, R-FTA58079, is one hub in a much more extensive tree of Other Surname Matches, many of them with Irish connections, whose overall MRCA: R-FGC13411 is placed on the human family tree in 196CE.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 11 – BIG-Y TESTING UPDATE

Guthrie – Ballew/Ballou Matches

This is a small group of 5 Guthrie men whose primary surname match is Ballew/Ballou and variants. They appear to descend from George Guthery 1769VA-1855IN and Mary Young. They are the earliest verified couple for GFG11. Two of our participants have upgraded to Big-Y resulting in a Haplogroup of R-FT404666.

The Guthrie lineages share a much more recent ancestor than the one shared with the rest of the group. Our two Big-Y Kits descend from GFG11-Branch B and Branch C rather than the older Branch A, so we don’t see where George, born in 1769) officially fits as a cog in the Guthrie line.The earliest paternal ancestor for the Ballew – Guthrie lineages was born about 1650 CE.

KITCHEN TALES: Medieval Morsels and other Angus Easter Feasts

This is less about genealogy news and more about getting to know our ancestors through something else we all know and love: food.

The little parish kirk at Guthrie had been there in some form since the Culdees worshiped there in the 8th-12th century. Sanctioned by a papal bull in 1479, Sir David Guthrie purchased St. Mary’s Church from the Abbey of Arbroath and reendowed it as a collegiate church. Easter at Guthrie meant the end of Lenten fasting, and the provost and prebendaries would have been busy with daily masses and perhaps a grand feast for the laird and his retainers.

Medieval Scots didn’t have fancy cookbooks like England’s Forme of Cury, but household accounts and archaeology tell us the table groaned with barley pottages thickened with root veg and herbs, roast lamb (the ultimate “Lamb of God” centrepiece), and oat-based breads. The Guthrie Aisle—still standing today—likely hosted an Easter Sepulchre ritual, but the celebratory meal happened afterwards: simple, sustaining dishes cooked over open fires.

Medieval Morsels: Whip up a quick Scotch Broth (barley, lamb or veg stock, carrots, turnips, and leeks). It’s basically medieval one pot cooking—comforting, forgiving, and perfect for telling stories about your ancestors while it simmers.

The Victorian-Era and a Guthrie Connection to Cookery

Fast-forward to the 1870s and meet our very own Christian Edington Guthrie Wright (1844–1907). Born into a railway family but raised in Edinburgh, this remarkable lady co-founded the Edinburgh School of Cookery and wrote The School Cookery Book—a no-nonsense guide to “plain cookery” that taught generations of Scottish families how to stretch a shilling and feed a household healthily.

Her recipes were all about economy and nutrition: economical soups, simple roasts, and spiced buns that made Easter feel festive without breaking the bank. Victorian Angus housewives in Forfarshire would have recognised the same thrifty spirit—using local beef, oats, and whatever the garden gave.

Hot Cross Buns with a Scottish accent: Follow her spirit (flour, dried fruit, mixed spice, a cross on top) and you’ve got a light-hearted Victorian treat that bridges the centuries. Traditional Scottish recipes for hot cross buns include flour, yeast, butter, mixed spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice), and dried fruits like currants or sultanas. Bake a batch, slather with butter, and imagine Christian herself nodding approvingly from the Atholl Crescent kitchen.

• Christian Edington Guthrie Wright has deep Guthrie ancestry traceable through the Halkerton line back to Kincaldrum.
  • 13x GGP: Alexander Guthrie, 1st of Kincaldrum
  • 12x GGP: James Guthrie of Halkerton
  • 11x GGP: Patrick Guthrie of Halkerton/Janet Guthrie
  • 10x GGP: Alexander Guthrie of Halkerton
  • 9x GGP: Alexander Guthrie of Halkerton/Agnes Lindsay
  • 8x GGP: William Guthrie of Halkerton/Christian Moncur
  • 7x GGP: Alexander Guthrie of Halkerton/Isobel Guthrie
  • 6x GGP: Henry ‘Harie’ Guthrie of Halkerton/Margaret Olgilvie
  • 5x GGP: Gideon Guthrie of Halkerton and Kynneries/Agnes Junkin
  • 4x GGP: Henry ‘Harie’ Guthrie of Halkerton/Margaret Sibbald
  • 3x GGP: Gideon Guthrie, Minister of Glenmuick & Fettersso/Anne Melville
  • 2x GGP: Hary Guthrie, writer/Rachel Milne
  • Great-Grandparents: Euphan Guthrie 1739-1831/Charles Wright
  • Grandparents: Charles Wright, Commissary-General, 1762-1842/Jane Green
  • Parents: Harry Guthrie Wright 1803-1894/Christian Edington

MODERN ANGUS: THE FORFAR BRIDIE (A SHORTCRUST MEAT PIE)

Nothing screams Angus/Forfarshire (so they tell me) quite like the Forfar Bridie—a glorious shortcrust hand-pie of minced beef, onion, and a whisper of stock, born in the market town of Forfar just down the road from Guthrie Kirk.

It’s 19th-century in name but rooted in centuries-old Scottish pastry tradition. Portable, hearty, and endlessly adaptable, it’s the ultimate Easter leftover solution or main-course hero. Pair it with neeps & tatties, a side of greens, and you’ve got a modern feast that still feels like it belongs on a medieval trestle table.

Quick Guthrie-friendly recipe idea:

• Shortcrust pastry + 500g good Angus beef (minced) + chopped onion + seasoning.
• Fold, crimp, bake until golden. Serve warm with a dollop of pride (and maybe a cheeky dram).

A Sweet Finish: Cranachan for the Clan

End your Easter meal the modern-Scottish way with cranachan—whipped cream, toasted oats, honey (or a splash of whisky if the grown-ups are feeling festive), and fresh raspberries. It evolved from simple medieval crowdie-and-oat puddings and would have been right at home in a Victorian Guthrie kitchen. Light, celebratory, and gloriously Scottish.

Food is family memory in edible form. From the barley pottages that sustained our medieval forebears near Guthrie Kirk, through Christian Guthrie Wright’s practical Victorian wisdom, to today’s Forfar bridies baked with Angus pride, every dish carries a thread of our shared heritage.

Sources & Further Reading

1. Guthrie Collegiate Church foundation (1479 by Alexander, Lord Guthrie): Corpus of Scottish Churches database and Historic Environment Scotland records (Angus Archives).
2. Christian Edington Guthrie Wright, The School Cookery Book (Edinburgh, 1879; later editions available via Internet Archive and Wellcome Collection).
3. F. Marian McNeill, The Scots Kitchen: Its Traditions and Lore with Old-Time Recipes (first published 1929; modern reprints by Birlinn Ltd.).
4. Forfar Bridie origins and Angus/Forfarshire traditions: early 19th-century local records and standard Scottish food histories (e.g., Maggie Bridie story in Forfar market lore).
5. Guthrie Heritage Centre updates (including 2026 visitor centre launch): official site at guthrieheritage.org and Clan Guthrie announcements.