MARTHA GUTHRIE a1766 MD or NC – aft.1846KY
m1. HUGH BARNETTT & m2. JOSEPH SNODGRASS
of Maryland, North Carolina, & Kentucky, USA

MARTHA GUTHRIE
Parents: James Guthrie c1720IRE – 1801NC & Elizabeth (MNU)
Birth: Before 1765 (age 45 and over in 1810)
Birth Location: Near Baltimore, Maryland or Orange County, North Carolina
Marriage – 1st: Hugh Barnett – Before 1795 in Orange County, North Carolina, USA
Marriage – 2nd: Joseph Snodgrass – 26 May 1803 in Warren County, Kentucky
Barnett Children: Thomas R Barnett, James Barnett, William Barnett (?), possibly 1-2 others
Snodgrass Children: Unknown
Death: After 1846, probably bet. 1846-1850
Death Location: Unknown, probably Kentucky
Burial Location: Unknown
Notes:
Martha Guthrie was one of the 6 daughters and 2 sons named in the last will and testament of their father James Guthrie Sr of Orange County, North Carolina. Until recently, the details of Martha’s marriage and family remained a mystery. Family Researcher, Caroline Diepenbrock shared her findings with Guthrie Genealogy (June 2023). Records in Warren and Logan County, KY have revealed the names of Martha Guthrie’s two husbands and uncovered some of her life story. Data collection is still ongoing. Based on the data from the 1810 KY census, Martha’s age range is listed as 45 and over for that year indicating she was born prior to 1765.

HUGH BARNETT
Parents: Unknown
Birth: Unknown
Birth Location: Unknown
Occupation: Unknown
Death: About 1799
Death Location: Logan County, Kentucky, USA
Burial Location: Unknown, presumably in Logan County, Kentucky, USA
Notes:
Since all of the other daughters and sons of James and Elizabeth Guthrie married in Orange County, NC prior to their move west, it seems very likely that Martha Guthrie met and married her husband Hugh Barnett in Orange, Person, or Caswell County, NC since the Guthrie property was located near that tri-county border. There were Barnett families living in the region, which included men of the name Hugh. More research is required to determine if this is the correct group of Barnetts as there was another group in Mecklenburg, NC. Prior to his death, Hugh Barnett wrote a Last Will and Testament on 6 October 1799. (Logan KY Will Book 1, Page 11). (Transcription)

JOSEPH SNODGRASS
Parents: Unknown
Birth: Before 1766 (age 45 and over in 1810)
Birth Location: Unknown
Occupation: Unknown
Death: Bet. 1810 – 1818
Death Location: Unknown, probably in Logan County, Kentucky, USA
Burial Location: Unknown, probably in Logan County, Kentucky, USA
Notes:
Joseph Snodgrass married the widow Barnett in 1803. At this point little is known about Joseph. He was born prior to 1765 and was at least 45 years of age in 1810 during the Logan County, KY census. He was ordered by the court to enter security for wife Martha’s administration of her deceased first husband’s estate in July of 1803. By this time, her father, James Guthrie Sr had also passed away. In 1805, Joseph provided his brother-in-law, Robert Guthrie, with power of attorney to act in his stead to secure any inheritance from the estate of James Guthrie Sr. Joseph’s death came after the 1810 census, but before 4 Feb 1818 when the Kentucky General Assembly passed an Act for the Benefit of Martha Snodgrass stating that Joseph had died leaving her in a “poor and helpless situation” making her a fit object for charity. Martha Barnett had once been granted a certificate No. 109 granting her 400 acres of land in Logan County, KY. The assembly enacted that the Register of the Land Office issue a grant to Martha Snodgrass for 200 acres of the aforesaid land, and that he receive into his office a plat and certificate of survey, and register the same without charging any fees.

The number and identity of Martha’s children remains murky at this point.

We know from Hugh Barnett’s will that there were “children” and that he had a son named Thomas Barnett who had some infirmities. Presumably also a son of Martha’s.

We also know that Martha had a son named James Barnett, presumably also a son of Hugh Barnett. We also believe that this son is James Guthrie Barnett who was born about 1795 in either NC or KY and died in 1846 in AR. This site coordinator has autosomal DNA matches with descendants of that line, but we are still looking for additional evidence.

Based on the information in both wills, Thomas Barnett was alive in Oct 1799, and James Barnett in Nov 1800. Martha and Hugh’s marriage date is unknown, but is speculated to be 1780-1790. The 1800 Federal US Census for Kentucky was reportedly destroyed by fire during the War of 1812. Census substitutes are based on tax records, and as such do not include the enumeration of the family members.

Our next clue about the configuration of Martha’s family is the 1810 census listing the Joseph Snodgrass household:
1M and 1F 45 and over (born before 1766) – Joseph and Martha
2 M16-25 (born 1785-1794)
2M 10-15 (born 1795-1800)
1F under 10 (born 1800-1810) – daughter, stepdaughter, or apprentice (see note)
We don’t know if Joseph Snodgrass was previously married. If he was, these children might not belong to Martha. Thomas and James Barnett could fit into either of the categories listed above. All of the children could be Barnett children. The youngest one could potentially be a Snodgrass child, or the 7 year old orphan girl, Nancy Pittman, who was assigned by the court to Joseph Snodgrass as an apprentice.

Joseph’s death came sometime between this census and 1818. There are no Snodgrass households listed in 1820, 1830, or 1840 Logan County, KY, but ongoing tax records show that Martha was still living in the county.

The 1820 Logan KY census does include a Thomas Barnett Household with 1F 45 and older, 1M 26-44 and 2M 16-25, which is listed next to a William Barnett household in Russellville, Logan, KY. This scenario could work as a widow living with her sons, especially since the last known document listing Martha is a property transaction between her and a William Barnett in 1846.

If this 1820 census does belong to this family, it shows Martha’s birth before 1774, Thomas as the HOH would presumably be the eldest son born between 1776-1794, and two younger sons born bet. 1795-1804.

Related Barnetts? Wills of Logan, KY: William Barnett (1804), Thomas Barnett (1818)

CHILD 1: THOMAS BARNETT (Speculative)
Born 1785-1794 NC or KY – Died 18??
Thomas’ father, Hugh Barnett, indicated in his last will and testament that his son had infirmities. He is the only one of the ‘children’ named in the will. Martha sold Gasper River property to Thomas R. Barnett of Butler County, KY in 1836. No relationship is specified in the deed, but it is possible that he was her son.

The 1820 census of Russellville, Logan, KY, lists as Thomas Barnett household: 1M 26-44, 2M 16-25, and 1F 45 and over. This could be Thomas (born 1776-1794), two younger brothers (born 1795-1804), and widowed mother Martha. By 1830, Thomas appears to have made the move to neighboring Butler County, KY where he appears as the Head of Household listed as 1M 30-39 (born 1790-1800), 1F 20-29 (born 1801-1810), and 2 sons under 5 years old (born 1826-1830). Mother Martha is not living with them in 1830. She was still a resident of Logan, KY in 1846 when she sold property to William Barnett. Since she was not listed as a HOH in 1840, she was presumably living with a relative.

Thomas was still in Butler County in 1840, now listed as 40-49 (born 1790-1800), but without a spouse, and only 1 male of 5-9 years of age (born 1831-1835). He then disappears from the Butler County census in 1850 and 1860, bur reportedly died there on 16 Nov 1863. A James H Barnett was appointed his executor on 11 April 1864 (Administrator’s Bond). Thomas’s wife may have been Anna Reed. That marriage was recorded in Butler County, KY on 1 Feb 1825, which would make sense for the age of the children in the 1830 census following. They are listed as the parents of William R Barnett 1828-1911 in his death record. Anna Barnett and William R Barnett are listed together in the Morgantown, Butler, KY Census, which suggests that she and Thomas may have separated or divorced. Thomas is buried at Russ Cemetery in Morgantown, Butler, KY and listed at Find-a-Grave with a DOB of 1 Jan 1793 and DOD of 16 Nov 1863, aged 70.
Barnett Children: 1
Y-DNA Project Participants: N/A – Descendant of a Female Guthrie
Autosomal DNA Participants: No

1) William R Barnett 1828KY-1911KY married Mary Jane Garrison +children
William R Barbett was a farmer. He lived in Morgantown, Butler, Kentucky, and married at the age of 32 to Mary Jane Garrison on 17 April 1861. They were parents to Sam Robert, James O, Laura, Thomas, and Nancy. The family moved to Vermillion, Dakota County, Minnesota and were living there during the 1870 census. Mary Jane died before the 1880 census by which time William had moved the family back to Butler County, KY. That year the census record noted he had suffered a spinal injury. William was still a minor in 1846 when Martha Snograss sold property on Gasper River to a William Barnett, so the sale most likely went to a another relative living in the county.

CHILD 2: WILLIAM BARNETT (Speculative)
Born abt. 1785-1799NC or KY – Died 18??
We know that Martha Snodgrass sold Gasper River property to a man named William Barnett in 1846 Logan, KY. What is unknown is the relationship between them. Was he her son by Hugh Barnett? Was he a grandson? Or perhaps even a nephew by marriage? There are men of the William Barnett name living in Logan, KY. The question is whether any of them is a son to Martha.

The 1840 census of Logan, KY includes 1 William Barnett household:
1M 30-39 (born 1801-1810), 1F 20-29 (born 1811-1820), and 1F 60-69 (born 1771-1780).
Based on our age calculations from earlier census records, this man is too young to be Martha’s son, and the older woman is also in you younger age category as Martha should be in her 70s.

The 1850 Census of Logan, KY.
The James W Covington Household (District 1):
403 413 James W Covington 27 m farmer, Real Estate: 300, Birthplace: KY
William Barnett 48 m (no occupation listed), Real Estate: 7000, Birthplace: KY
(48 = birth year est. 1802)

CHILD 3: JAMES GUTHRIE BARNETT (Speculative)
Born abt.1795NC or KY – Died 1846AR
Presumed son of Hugh Barnett and Martha Guthrie. They definitely had a son named James Barnett, who was born prior to the Nov 1800 Last Will and Testament of his grandfather, James Guthrie, Sr of Orange County, North Carolina.

James Guthrie Barnett was born about 1795. Trees list a birthplace of KY, but the 1880 census record of a daughter lists his birthplace as North Carolina, which might make more sense for 1795. James married Mary Henderson about 1817, potentially in Missouri where James shows up. They lived in Lawrence County, Arkansas. James died there about 1846 and Mary about 1850.

A descendant of James Guthrie Barnett (Kit 179044) is a participant in the Barnett Y-DNA Surname Project at FTDNA. He is a match for several others in Barnett Family Group 22. One lists ancestor Byron Barnett b1740-d1797.

Barnett Children:
1) William H Barnett 1817/8AR-1857AR married Martha E McGee +children
2) Martha G Barnett 1820AR-1880AR married 1st James Cravens +children, 2nd David McKnight +children
3) John Robinson Barnett 1722/3AR married Linda Carolina Johnson. No known children.
4) James Alexander Barnett 1824/5AR-1900AR married Nancy Jane Ware +children
5) Mary Ann Barnett 1829AR-1862AR married Markus B Jackson +children
6) Harvey Clark Barnett born 1831/2AR. No further details.
7) Franklin Monroe Barnett 1833AR-1888AR married Mary E Cunningham +children
8) Ira Nelson Barnett 1836/7AR-1866AR married Mariah Simpson +children
9) Margaret Elizabeth Barnett 1839AR-1899AR married 1st A M Holt, 2nd Israel Folsom Dawson +children
10) Samuel K Barnett born 18__AR. No further details.

READING & RESOURCES

1846 September 6 – Logan County, Kentucky – Land Transaction
Logan County Deed Book 26, p. 456
Martha Snodgrass to W. Barnett

Then Indenture made & entered into this 8^th day of September 1846 between Marthay Snodgrass of the county of Logan and state of Kentucky of the one part and W. Barnett of the county and state aforesaid fo the other part Witnesseth That the said Marthay Snodgrass for and in consideration of the sum of fifty dollars in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged hath granted bargained and sold and doth by these presents grant bargain and sell unto the said W. Barnett his heirs and assigns all that tract or parcel of land situate and being in the county of Logan on the waters of Gasper River and bounded as follows to wit Beginning at a white Oake and Black Oak standing on the south bounding line of a 200 acre survey made in the name of Lewis Darton running thence S 18 E 40 poles to a black walnut thence S 25 W 40 poles to a Spanish oak thence S 5 E 130 poles to a sassafras and Black gum s[t]anding on the north boundary line of a 200 acres military survey made in the name of Lee running with a line of that survey S 67 E 200 poles to two black oak saplins thence N 20 E 100 poles to a black oak and post oak on Woods line thence with his line N 25 W 40 poles to a post Oak thence N 55 W 26 poles to the beginning containing Two hundred acres be the same more or less together with all and singular the appurtenances there unto belonging or in any wise appertaining To have and to hold the land hereby conveyed with the appurtenances unto the said W Barnett his heirs or assigns forever and the said Marthay Snodgrass for herself her heirs executors and administrators the aforesaid tract or parcel of land and appurtenances unto the said W. Barnett his heirs or assigns against the claim or claims of all and every person or persons whatsoever doth and will forever warrant and and defend by these presents except about one hundred acres deed to H.S. Barnett on the south side of the survey. In witness whereof the said Marthay Snodgrass hath hereunto set her hand and seal the day and date first above written. 

Interlined before signed                                                 Martha [her x mark] Snodgrass {SEAL}

Witness

C. Hutcheson

Samuel Price

Logan County Sct: 

I Marmaduke B. Morton as clerk of the said Logan County court do certify that this deed from Martha Snodgrass to W Barnett was on the 25^th day of September proven before me in my office by the oath of Samuel Price a Subscribing witness thereto to be the act and deed of the said Martha Snodgrass and on this day the same by the oath of C Hutcheson another subscribing witness thereto to be the act and deed of the said Martha Snodgrass. Whereupon the same together with this certificate hath been duly admitted to record in my office. Given under my hand this 28^th day of September 1846. 

M B Morton

Research Contributions and Transcriptions by Caroline Diepenbrock