2A-A: Mary Guthrie
Guthrie Family Group 2A · Branch A · Child Page
Mary Guthrie & Alexander McMenamy
Orange & Caswell Counties, North Carolina · Wilson County, Tennessee
Mary Guthrie, a daughter of James Guthrie and Elizabeth (MNU), married Alexander McMenamy in North Carolina. Their marriage bond is dated 9 May 1795 in Orange County. Her father’s 1800 will places Mary among his four eldest daughters and names a grandson, James McMenamy, linking the next generation with the Guthrie household.
Alexander was a Revolutionary War veteran whose pension papers describe his service and his move to Wilson County, Tennessee, in 1810. Together with family deeds and census households, those records trace the McMenamy family’s North Carolina connections and Tennessee years. Descendants continued west into Illinois and Texas, carrying the family story into new communities.
Family at a Glance
Mary Guthrie
- Parents
- James Guthrie & Elizabeth (MNU).
- Birth
- Before 1765, estimated. Ireland or Maryland; her birthplace remains unresolved.
- Family
- One of the four eldest daughters named in her father’s will. The will does not establish her exact position among those four sisters.
- Residence
- Orange and Caswell Counties, North Carolina; the family later settled in Tennessee.
- Death
- 1840, reportedly in Wilson County, Tennessee. No original death record has been identified in the material reviewed.
- Burial
- Not yet identified.
Alexander McMenamy
- Parents
- John McMenamy & Sarah Jane Robeson, as reported in family research; this parentage has not yet been independently established.
- Birth
- 15 September 1758, Halifax County, Virginia, according to his pension declaration.
- Occupation & Service
- Farmer and Revolutionary War veteran. His pension supports service as a private and sergeant.
- Residence
- North Carolina; moved to Wilson County, Tennessee, in 1810, according to his pension declaration.
- Death
- About 1840, reportedly in Wilson County, Tennessee. The exact date and probate chronology remain unresolved.
- Burial
- Not yet identified.
Marriage bond: 9 May 1795, Orange County, North Carolina. The bond names Mary Guttery and Alexander McMennamy, with James Guthry/Guthrie as bondsman and S. Benton as witness. This is the bond date; a separate ceremony date has not been established.
| Child | Life Dates | Family & Record Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sally McMenamy | 1788–1834, reported | Married John Blurton, 29 March 1811, Wilson County, Tennessee. Her reported death was in Illinois. A possible earlier marriage to Temple Byrd remains unresolved. |
| William John McMenamy | 1795–1875, reported | Married Permelia Ward. Their family’s later history extends from Tennessee to Macon County, Illinois, and Fannin County, Texas. |
| Mary Ann McMenamy | Born 1788 or 1798; died between 1840 and 1850, inferred | Married John Harpole, 20 September 1824, Rutherford County, Tennessee. Their children are identified as Permelia “Milly” E. and William Harpole. |
| James H. McMenamy | Born by 1 November 1800; living in 1870 | Named as a grandson in James Guthrie’s will. Married Sarah E. Robertson, 19 June 1830, Rutherford County, Tennessee, where he remained through the 1870 census. |
McMenamy appears as McMennamy, McMinamy, McMinnaway, and other spellings in historical records. The family entries above retain the established research framework while distinguishing reported dates from conclusions supported by the records reviewed.
Mary’s parentage, age & place among her siblings
Mary is identified as the daughter of James Guthrie & Elizabeth (MNU) through the combined family evidence. James’s will, dated 1 November 1800 and proved at May Term 1801, groups Ann, Mary, Margaret, and Martha as his four eldest daughters. It also names his grandson James McMenamy. The will does not rank those four daughters individually.
The marriage bond supplies another family connection through James Guthry/Guthrie as bondsman, although it does not explicitly call him Mary’s father. Mary’s birth estimate comes from the adult female age ranges in the 1800 and 1810 households, if those entries represent her. They favor a birth around 1755/1756–1765; the alternative year 1774 does not fit those age ranges. Her exact birthplace remains unsettled.
Children’s dates, maternity & marriage questions
Sally and William John: Sally’s reported 1788 birth and William John’s reported birth on 19 February 1795 precede the parents’ 9 May 1795 marriage bond. Those dates need original-source support. The discrepancy leaves questions about the family’s earlier history and maternity; the unnamed census tallies cannot settle them.
Sally’s possible earlier marriage: A 28 May 1809 Caswell County license links Sally McMenamy with Temple Byrd, but whether that marriage took place remains uncertain. His subsequent marriage record with Nancy Fuller requires comparison before Temple is listed as Sally’s husband.
Mary Ann: The 1788 and 1798 birth years remain in conflict. The wife’s age ranges in John Harpole’s 1830 and 1840 households favor the earlier decade, if she is Mary Ann. Her absence from his 1850 household supports a possible death between 1840 and 1850, rather than an established death in 1840.
James H.: His grandfather’s will proves that James McMenamy was born by 1 November 1800. It does not establish an exact birth year of 1800. His presence in the 1870 census likewise establishes that he was then living, rather than proving a death that year.
Tennessee residence & unresolved death dates
Alexander’s pension declaration places his move to Wilson County, Tennessee, in 1810. His affidavit in Frederick Debow’s pension file identifies him as a Wilson County resident on 14 August 1837. These statements provide firmer identification than the possible Rutherford County census matches.
The elderly man in James McMenamy’s 1830 household falls in an age range that does not match Alexander’s stated 1758 birth. That household therefore cannot establish Alexander’s residence or, through the absence of an older woman, Mary’s death.
The reported 1840 deaths remain subject to review. Alexander’s compiled will, probate, recording, and death dates conflict; the original estate documents are needed to establish their sequence. No exact death date or burial location is assigned here for either spouse.
Historical Highlights
From the South Hico family circle to Tennessee and beyond
Mary’s story is rooted in the family of James Guthrie & Elizabeth (MNU) and their North Carolina connections around South Hico. Her father’s will places her among his four eldest daughters and names her son James McMenamy as a grandson. The books, Bibles, spectacles, livestock, and textile equipment recorded in her father’s estate help give context to the wider Guthrie household.
Alexander brought his own history to this family circle. Born in Virginia in 1758, he served during the Revolutionary War and later sought a pension for that service. The surviving pension transcription provides his birth date, details of his military duties, and his account of moving to Tennessee. His recognized service as a private and sergeant remains distinct from the disputed evidence concerning a captain’s rank.
Their 1795 marriage bond and the later North Carolina records connect the couple to Mary’s relatives. In November 1810, Alexander joined Elizabeth Guthrie and John Madden in a conveyance of South Hico land. His pension declaration also dates his move to Wilson County, Tennessee, to 1810, placing that transaction within the family’s period of migration.
In Tennessee, the next generation established households in Wilson and Rutherford Counties. Some descendants remained there, while others carried the family story into Illinois and Texas. Mary’s own later years are less clearly documented than Alexander’s pension history, and both spouses’ reported deaths require further clarification. Their family connections nevertheless remain visible across wills, deeds, marriage records, censuses, and the descendants’ continuing research.
Family Timeline
| Date | Event & Evidence |
|---|---|
| 1758 / before 1765 |
The couple’s beginnings Alexander later stated that he was born on 15 September 1758 in Halifax County, Virginia. Mary’s birth is estimated before 1765 from census age ranges; whether she was born in Ireland or Maryland remains unresolved. Sources: Alexander’s pension declaration, S4201; family research and the 1800/1810 household age ranges. |
| 1780–1781 | Revolutionary War service Alexander’s pension account describes a summer 1780 tour as a sergeant and mounted service in 1781. His later pension award recognized service as a private and sergeant. A disputed claim to a captain’s rank requires separate treatment. Source: S4201, Will Graves transcription. The full original pension file has not been independently reviewed. |
| 9 May 1795 | Mary and Alexander’s marriage bond The Orange County bond names Mary Guttery and Alexander McMennamy. James Guthry/Guthrie acts as bondsman, and S. Benton witnesses the obligation. The record establishes the bond date, rather than a separately documented wedding date. Source: original Orange County marriage bond, reviewed image; FamilySearch index. |
| 1800 | A North Carolina household The census entry indexed under Alexander’s surname variants in Caswell County contains six people: three males and three females. Its age groups are useful for comparing the family’s reported birth dates, but the household members are unnamed. Source: 1800 census, Alex Minimay/Minimay variant, indexed Hillsboro, Caswell County. |
| 1800–1801 | Mary’s place in the Guthrie family James Guthrie’s will, dated 1 November 1800 and proved at May Term 1801, includes Mary among his four eldest daughters and names grandson James McMenamy. It establishes the grandson’s existence by the will date, without fixing his birth year. Source: James Guthrie’s recorded will and proof, reviewed images. |
| 1810 | North Carolina records and a Tennessee move The A. McMinimy household in Orange County contains eight people. Alexander’s later pension declaration places his move to Wilson County, Tennessee, in 1810. The census, migration statement, and November deed belong to the same year, but do not provide a precise moving date. Sources: 1810 census, Hillsborough, Orange County; pension S4201. |
| 6 Nov 1810 / Feb 1811 |
The South Hico conveyance Elizabeth Guthrie, John Maden/Madden, and Alexander McMinnamy conveyed 323½ acres on South Hico to Richard Henslee/Hinslee for £300. The deed was proved at February Term 1811. It ties Alexander to the Guthrie family’s land affairs and establishes that Elizabeth was living when the deed was executed. Source: Orange County deed, recorded pp. 448–449; execution and proof dates distinguished. |
| 1811–1830 | The next generation forms households Sally married John Blurton in Wilson County on 29 March 1811. Mary Ann married John Harpole in Rutherford County on 20 September 1824; James H. married Sarah E. Robertson there on 19 June 1830. William John’s marriage to Permelia Ward is retained in the family research, with its exact date unresolved. Sources: marriage records and compiled family entries discussed in Explore the Records. |
| 1831–1833 | Alexander’s pension claim The pension transcription reports an award of $54.16 per year, effective 4 March 1831, for eight months as a private and five and a half months as a sergeant. Correspondence in 1833 addresses the disputed captain’s evidence; that dispute does not negate the service recognized in the award. Source: S4201 transcription, including the award summary and correspondence. |
| 14 Aug 1837 | A veteran’s testimony from Wilson County In an affidavit supporting Frederick Debow’s pension claim, Alexander identified himself as a Wilson County resident. He described service under Debow and an assignment escorting prisoners on the morning of the Battle of Guilford Court House. Source: Frederick Debow pension W7005, Will Graves transcription, pp. 4–5. |
| About 1840 | Reported deaths await clarification Family research places Mary’s death in 1840 and Alexander’s death about 1840, both in Wilson County. Alexander’s compiled will, probate, recording, and death dates conflict. The original estate documents are needed before a precise sequence can be assigned. Sources: family research and estate references; original death and probate evidence remains incomplete. |
| Mid–late 1800s | Descendants in Tennessee, Illinois, and Texas The children’s families followed different paths. William John and Permelia’s line extended through Macon County, Illinois, to Fannin County, Texas. Mary Ann’s Harpole family later lived in Obion County, Tennessee; James H. remained in Rutherford County and was still living at the 1870 census. Sources: descendant family research and census entries; detailed lineages follow in Explore the Records. |
Explore the Records
These records connect Mary and Alexander with their relatives, homes, and descendants. The family notes retain the existing research while identifying the particular dates and relationships that still need original documentation.
1795 Marriage Bond & James Guthrie’s Will
Marriage bond, 9 May 1795: Alexander McMennamy and James Guthry/Guthrie undertook a £500 obligation for Alexander’s intended marriage to Mary Guttery in Orange County, North Carolina. S. Benton witnessed the bond. The £500 is the bond obligation, not a wedding fee.
James is identified as bondsman, without an explicit statement of his relationship to Mary. Her identification as the daughter of James Guthrie & Elizabeth (MNU) rests on the combined family evidence. The bond does not name an officiant or establish a ceremony type.
Will, 1 November 1800; proved May Term 1801: James names Ann, Mary, Margaret, and Martha as his four eldest daughters, leaving ten shillings to each. He also leaves £5 to grandson James McMenamy. These provisions preserve Mary’s place in the family without fixing her order among those sisters or her son’s exact birth year.
Open the marriage index and associated record →
Sources: reviewed bond and recorded-will images. Bond index: 000098980; image 003198; record 01264. Will reference retained in the family research: Orange County Will Book D, p. 40; also transcribed in Laurence R. Guthrie, American Guthrie and Allied Families (1933), pp. 507–508.
1810–1811 · The South Hico Land Conveyance
On 6 November 1810, Elizabeth Guthrie, John Maden/Madden, and Alexander McMinnamy conveyed 323½ acres on South Hico to Richard Henslee/Hinslee for £300. Elizabeth signed by mark. John Dunn and William McMinnamy witnessed the deed; William proved it at Orange County’s February Term 1811.
The instrument begins at the bottom of recorded page 448 and continues on page 449. The preceding deed concerns different parties and must not supply this transaction’s date or terms.
This deed connects Alexander with Mary’s family’s land affairs and establishes that Elizabeth was alive on the execution date. Mary is not separately named as a grantor. The deed alone does not explain how the three grantors acquired their respective interests, establish a completed estate division, or fix the family’s moving date.
Open the retained deed image reference →
Orange County, North Carolina, Deed Book 13, pp. 448–449. The reviewed images show the page numbers; the book number comes from the retained citation. February 1811 is the proof term, not the execution date.
1800–1830 · Census Households & Identity Questions
| Census | Recorded Household | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | Alex Minimay, indexed Hillsboro, Caswell County, North Carolina. Males: two under 10; one 26–44. Females: one under 10; one 10–15; one 26–44. Six people. | The adult female could be Mary. The girl aged 10–15 could fit Sally’s reported 1788 birth, but neither identity nor maternity is stated. The adjacent William McM* household is a research lead. |
| 1810 | A. McMinimy, Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina. Males: one 10–15; one 16–25; one 45+. Females: one under 10; two 16–25; two 45+. Eight people. | One older woman may be Mary; identifying the other as Elizabeth Guthrie remains a hypothesis. No girl aged 10–15 appears, a difficulty for Mary Ann’s reported 1798 birth if she was then in this household. |
| 1820 | Alexander W. Miwaway in the index, Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee. Males: one 16–25; one 45+. Females: one 26–44; one 45+. Four people; two engaged in agriculture. | A candidate household, not a settled identification. The apparent “W” may belong to the surname’s written form. Do not adopt it as Alexander’s middle initial; compare this entry with his own Wilson County statements. |
| 1830 | James McMonamay/McMinamy, Rutherford County, Tennessee. Males: one 30–39; one 80–89. Females: one 20–29. Three people. | Alexander, born in September 1758, would have been 71 at the census reference date. The man aged 80–89 cannot be identified as him without further evidence. The absence of an older woman does not establish Mary’s death. |
The 1800 and 1810 adult female ranges favor an estimated birth around 1755/1756–1765 if they represent Mary. Unnamed household members cannot independently establish the four children’s identities, maternity, or exact birth dates.
Revolutionary War Pension S4201 & the 1837 Debow Affidavit
Alexander’s 1832 declaration gives his birth as 15 September 1758, Halifax County, Virginia, and his move to Wilson County, Tennessee, in 1810. It describes a 1779 volunteer tour and illness, a summer 1780 sergeant’s tour, and mounted service in 1781.
The transcription reports a pension of $54.16 annually, effective 4 March 1831, for eight months as a private and five and a half months as a sergeant. Officials disputed the captain’s discharge; Alexander defended it in 1833. This dispute does not negate his recognized service. Exhibit C bears 20 December 1782, while the narrative gives conflicting discharge years.
Read Alexander’s pension transcription, S4201 →
His 14 August 1837 affidavit in Frederick Debow’s file identifies him as a Wilson County resident and describes a prisoner-escort assignment on the morning of Guilford Court House. That specific account should accompany broader statements about his battle service.
Read the Debow pension transcription, W7005, pp. 4–5 →
Will Graves transcriptions: S4201, revised 30 January 2017; W7005, revised 13 September 2025. These are selective transcriptions, with reproduced exhibits in S4201. The full original federal files remain to be reviewed.
Alexander’s Estate & the Couple’s Unresolved Death Dates
The compiled estate references give 12 November 1839 for Alexander’s will, 1 February 1840 for probate, and 19 March 1840 for recording; the published source notes instead label 19 March as proof. A reported March 1840 death does not fit a February probate in the ordinary sequence.
The original will, endorsement, and surrounding court entries have not been supplied for review. These dates are retained as research leads, without choosing a replacement date or inferring beneficiaries from an unseen document.
Mary’s reported 1840 death in Wilson County also needs original support. A claim that she is omitted from Alexander’s will must be checked against the complete instrument before being used to narrow her death interval. Neither spouse’s burial place has been established.
Child 1 · Sally McMenamy & John Blurton
Sally’s reported birth on 2 June 1788 precedes Mary and Alexander’s 1795 marriage bond. No original birth record has been identified in the reviewed material. Her maternity and the couple’s earlier family history remain open questions.
A 28 May 1809 Caswell County license associates Sally with Temple Byrd. Another marriage entry names Temple and Nancy Fuller on 14 July 1809; Nancy is identified as administrator after his reported death on 10 January 1810. The possibility that Sally’s intended marriage was never completed remains a hypothesis.
Sally married John Blurton on 29 March 1811 in Wilson County, Tennessee, under the name Sally McMinnaway. The family later settled in Marion County, Illinois. Her reported death was in 1834.
| Child | Dates & Family Notes |
|---|---|
| Nancy Blurton | About 1811–1850. Married John Hammer, 17 September 1840, Marion County, Illinois. Children: William Henry (1841), Sarah A. (1844), John Wesley (1847), and Jesse (1849). Her reported death was 28 September 1850; John later remarried. |
| Elizabeth Blurton | About 1812–1844. Married Joseph Gray, 11 June 1831, Marion County, Illinois. Children: William Harrison (1836), Esther (1839), James Harvey (1840), Mary (1841), and Rebecca (1843). Elizabeth reportedly died at Salem; Joseph died in 1858. |
| William B. Blurton | About 1813–after 1880. Farmer, later a carpenter in Missouri. Married Margaret McHenry; one daughter reported. After Margaret’s 1858 death, he married widow Martha (Edgar) Croyon on 27 March 1859. Their children were William (1860), Robert (1865), and Mamie (1867); Laura Croyon was Martha’s daughter from her earlier marriage. Martha lived until 1912. |
| John Blurton | 29 December 1817–15 September 1908. Married Cynthia Prewett, also rendered Preset in the notes, on 28 December 1841. Eight child entries are retained: an infant, Robert, John William, Maria Jane, Harriet, William, George, and Monroe. The family lived in Illinois, Iowa, and Schuyler County, Missouri. Research credits John with Company B, Second Missouri State Cavalry service. John and Cynthia, who died 31 March 1908, were buried at Myers Cemetery, Queen City. |
| Jesse L. Blurton | 1828–16 August 1870. Married Lucy Cole, 7 August 1850. Children: John Thomas (1851), Louisa (1856), James Monroe (1860), and George Riley (1866). Jesse died in Marion County, Illinois; Lucy’s reported death was in 1881. |
| Mary Blurton | About 1830–after 1850. Born in Illinois. No spouse, children, or later history has been identified in the retained research. |
| Sarah Jane Blurton | 4 June 1832–26 January 1916. Married Miles/Myers G. Allen, 23 June 1858. Four sons are reported: John Monroe (1859), Henry J. (1864), William L. (1873), and a possible George. Her husband’s name and death date remain unresolved. Sarah was recorded as a widow in 1880 and reportedly died at Kinmundy, Illinois. |
John’s subsequent marriage to Sarah Garner on 8 August 1837 belongs to a separate maternal family. Their five listed children are Franklin Monroe, George Washington, Susan Catherine, Wesley, and Alexander Blurton.
The large interval among Sally’s listed children and the possible Temple Byrd marriage deserve original-record comparison. The seven Blurton entries are retained without treating their compiled dates as proof of Sally’s own birth or maternity.
Child 2 · William John McMenamy & Permelia Ward
William John’s reported birth, 19 February 1795, also precedes the May marriage bond. His marriage to Permelia Ward is placed about 1810–1814 in the family research, without an original marriage record establishing the exact date.
The family’s route extends from Tennessee through Macon County, Illinois, to Fannin County, Texas. Ten child or household entries are preserved below; this is not a claim that all ten were their children.
| Child | Dates & Family Notes |
|---|---|
| James B. McMenamy / McMinnamy | About 1810–1860, reported. His placement as a child of William John and Permelia needs verification. The reported birth would place both parents at about fifteen. No established spouse or descendants are recorded here. |
| John Horace McMenamy | 1814–1877. Married Nancy Eveline Hill, 22 May 1844; sons George, who died young, and Benjamin Franklin (1847). Family research credits John with service in Warnick’s Black Hawk War company and service as Macon County sheriff in 1835. Benjamin became a physician at Bethany, Illinois, and married Ann E. Smith. Newspaper leads date to 27 October 1887 and 29 November/5 December 1894. Nancy died in 1853. |
| Lucinda C. McMenamy | Born about 1816; death unresolved. Married James Ward Warnick/Warnock, 26 September 1839. Their listed children are Nancy, Sarah, William, James Milton, Mary Ellen, Robert Henry, and John, with births extending into 1853. James reportedly died 19 February 1853; probate is cited for 21 June 1854. Lucinda’s later marriage to Elias Martin, about 1855, and a son are retained. A death in 1839 is incompatible with this later history and is not adopted. |
| William Washington McMenamy | 22 July 1819–1887. Married Evaline/Eveline “Effie” Burch/Bunch, 30 December 1852, Collin County, Texas; her surname needs comparison with the marriage record. Eleven children are listed: Martha Jane, Mary Eveline, Mahala Artimuss, Sarah Elizabeth, Serena Viola, Viola Semira, William Benjamin, Permelia Ellen/Emaline, Laura Ann, Celia Arlena, and J. W. Effie’s reported death was in 1888. |
| Isaac A. McMenamy | 1821–1887. Married Nancy E. Gwaltney, 8 January 1844, Fannin County, Texas; later lived in Collin County. Children: John Franklin (1845), William Henry (1846), Mary P. (1849), Martha Jane (1851), Sarah Eveline (1853), Jeremiah “Jerry” Benjamin (1855), George M. (1858), and Nancy M. (1860). Nancy reportedly died 7 June 1894 in Johnson County, Texas. Family Finder kit 587303 represents this line. |
| Sarah M. McMenamy | Born about 1818 or 1825; living in 1900. Married Sinclair Jones, 16 March 1857, Fannin County, Texas. A 1900 entry places her, aged 82, with nephew George McManaway in Indian Territory, in the area later identified with Pontotoc County, Oklahoma. Her birth year remains inconsistent; no children have been identified. |
| Jeremiah John McMenamy | 5 September 1825–31 May 1904. Married Mary Barber, 18 January 1854; children John Dorris, Andy Allen, and Permelia Jane. His second wife was Eliza Ellen Ray; their children were Mary, Belle, and Josephine. The compiled second-marriage year “1660” is erroneous; no replacement is assigned without the record. He lived in Grayson and Collin Counties, Texas, and later in the area that became Oklahoma. Eliza reportedly died in 1878. |
| Mary A. C. McMenamy | About 1827–after 1850. Recorded unmarried in the family’s Fannin County, Texas, household in 1850. No later marriage or descendants have been established. |
| J. M. McMenamy | About 1832–after 1850. Called James in the family narrative; born in Illinois and recorded as an eighteen-year-old laborer in the 1850 Fannin County household. No later family has been identified. |
| J. A. McMenamy | About 1845–after 1850. Texas-born boy in the 1850 household. He may be a grandchild rather than a son; the schedule does not state relationships. His parents remain unidentified. |
Retained Macon County history excerpt: Black Hawk War, p. 80 →
These descendant details are retained from the family research. Lucinda’s death chronology, Jeremiah’s second marriage, the Burch/Bunch surname, James B.’s placement, and J. A.’s parentage require their individual records. The linked county-history excerpt is a source lead, not a newly verified military service file.
Child 3 · Mary Ann McMenamy & John Harpole
Mary Ann married widower John Harpole on 20 September 1824 in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Her compiled birth date is 20 June 1798, while an alternative year is 1788. No original record reviewed establishes a full birth date or birthplace.
The wife in John’s 1830 and 1840 households falls in the 1781–1790 birth range. If she is Mary Ann, those entries favor the earlier decade. Her absence in 1850 supports a possible death between 1840 and 1850. John’s later household was in Obion County; his reported death was 12 February 1861.
John’s first wife, Elizabeth Swingley, was the mother of Solomon Wesley, Albert Carroll, and Wilson Page Harpole. Those three sons are not assigned to Mary Ann.
| Child | Dates & Family Notes |
|---|---|
| Permelia “Milly” E. Harpole | 20 March 1827–18 July 1903, reported. Married James H. Chandler, 18 July 1846; he died in 1849. Her second husband was John Melton Gentry. Seven Gentry children are listed: William Miller (1851), Ellen J. (1855), Sallie A. (1856), Virginia E. (1859), John Price (1862), Lou Emma (1866), and James Edwin (1869). These listed years span 1851–1869, correcting the internally inconsistent “1851–1852” range. The family moved from Tennessee to Johnson County, Texas, and later Indian Territory. Milly and John, who died in 1904, are associated with Alma Cemetery in present-day Stephens County, Oklahoma. |
| William Harpole | About 1832–after 1850. Listed with John Harpole in the 1850 household. No spouse, children, or later history has been identified in the retained research. |
The retained 1850 extracts place Milly in both a Harpole household account and a Gentry household account. The original schedules and enumeration dates should be compared before treating these as two confirmed enumerations of the same woman.
Child 4 · James H. McMenamy & Sarah E. Robertson
Grandson James McMenamy was already named in James Guthrie’s will on 1 November 1800. The bequest establishes that he was then living, without proving an exact 1800 birth.
James married Sarah E. Robertson on 19 June 1830 in Rutherford County, Tennessee. His family remained in that county through the 1870 census. Sarah’s death is placed between 1860 and 1870 in the family reconstruction; James’s proposed 1870–1880 death interval remains unconfirmed.
| Child | Dates & Family Notes |
|---|---|
| John R. McMenamy / McMenaway | 8 July 1831–23 May 1905. Married Cynthia Catherine Drennan, also rendered Brennan, on 10 September 1858 in Wilson County, Tennessee. Children: Francis Marion “Dick” (1859–1878), James W. “Bud” (1860–1938), and Luke Sanders (1866–1923). The family lived in Rutherford and Wilson Counties. John was buried at Drennan-McMenaway Cemetery, Mount Juliet; Cynthia died in 1917. |
| James Thomas McMenamy | 7 October 1832–15 January 1879. Married Martha F. Drennan, 17 September 1868, Wilson County. No children are reported. James was buried at Mount Juliet Cemetery. Martha married Zack Williams on 22 November 1883 and reportedly died 24 June 1901. |
| William Edward McMenamy | 1 May 1834–9 November 1918. Married Ruth M. Carter, 15 August 1870, Wayne County, Tennessee; no children are reported. Family research records service in Company E, 45th Tennessee Infantry. He died at Ralston, Weakley County, and was buried at Bible Union Cemetery, Martin. |
| Harriet McMenamy | About 1839–after 1910. Married Thomas Franklin Drennan about 1875; he died in 1881. Married Ira E. Peach, 18 October 1887, Wilson County; he died in 1896. No children are reported. In 1910 she lived with sister Sarah Elizabeth Sanders in Weakley County; brother William also shared that household. |
| Luke Sanders McMenamy | About 1840–after 1860. Recorded in Rutherford County in 1860. No spouse, descendants, or later history has been established. |
| Sarah Elizabeth “Bettie” McMenamy | 1844–30 November 1921. Married James E. Sanders, 22 December 1870. Their son was William B. Sanders (1872–1947). The family lived in Rutherford County and later Weakley County. Bettie and James, who died 16 June 1924, were buried at Bible Union Cemetery. She is distinct from her mother, Sarah E. Robertson. |
McMenaway is a frequent spelling in this descendant branch. Statements that no children are reported describe the current family research; an unknown later history is not proof that a person left no descendants.
Related McMenamy Deeds & Family Compilations
Alexander’s proposed parents, John McMenamy & Sarah Jane Robeson, remain attributed to family research. The following John McMenamy deed references may help investigate the family, but the index entries alone do not establish that relationship.
- Orange County grantee index, image 216 of 765; digital film 007545819.
- John McManamy from Leonard Stringer, 1 August 1795: Deed Book 5, p. 137.
- John McMinemy from Thomas O’Neill by sheriff, 27 August 1799: Deed Book 8, p. 147.
- John McMinimy, state grant, 26 November 1799: Deed Book 8, p. 213.
The family’s compiled research can be followed through these retained references:
- Laurence R. Guthrie, American Guthrie and Allied Families (1933).
- Laurence R. Guthrie, Descendants of James Guthrie: of Maryland and North Carolina, manuscript and correspondence catalog entry.
- Mary Guthrie’s profile in the Guthrie research tree.
These links preserve the source trail. The John McMenamy deeds and the compilations should be compared with their underlying records before being used to establish additional relationships.
Most Wanted Documents
- Family Bible or birth records: Mary’s birth and birthplace; Sally’s and William John’s reported births before the 1795 bond; Mary Ann’s 1788/1798 discrepancy.
- Marriage returns and estate papers: Sally’s intended marriage to Temple Byrd, his marriage to Nancy Fuller, and the administration of his estate.
- Alexander’s complete will and probate file: Resolve the 1839–1840 dates, identify the actual beneficiaries, and determine what the papers say about Mary.
- The complete pension files: Compare S4201’s original exhibits, declarations, and award papers with the transcription; retain the related W7005 affidavit.
- Land and census evidence: Establish the grantors’ interests in the 1810 South Hico conveyance and test the possible 1820 and 1830 Rutherford household identifications.
- Descendant records: William John and Permelia’s marriage; James B.’s placement; J. A.’s parents; Lucinda’s later life and death; Jeremiah’s second marriage; the Harpole/Gentry census entries; and unresolved spouse-name variants.
- Death and burial records: Mary and Alexander’s burial places and the later histories of descendants whose records currently end at a census.
DNA Participation
Family Finder kit 587303 represents Mary Guthrie’s branch through William John McMenamy & Permelia Ward, then Isaac A. McMenamy & Nancy E. Gwaltney. This participation is confirmed in the current Guthrie DNA Project member notes.
Mary’s descendants can contribute autosomal evidence. They do not inherit her father’s Guthrie Y chromosome through her. An unbroken father-to-son McMenamy line instead follows Alexander’s paternal ancestry and may be relevant to the McMenamin/McMenamy/McM* DNA Project.
| Child Line | Guthrie Y-DNA | Big-Y | Autosomal DNA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sally / Blurton | Not transmitted through Mary | Not a Guthrie paternal line through Mary | No participant recorded in the material reviewed |
| William John / Ward | Not transmitted through Mary | Not a Guthrie paternal line through Mary | Family Finder: 587303, through Isaac A. McMenamy & Nancy E. Gwaltney |
| Mary Ann / Harpole | Not transmitted through Mary | Not a Guthrie paternal line through Mary | No participant recorded in the material reviewed |
| James H. / Robertson | Not transmitted through Mary | Not a Guthrie paternal line through Mary | No participant recorded in the material reviewed |
The current FamilyTreeDNA register does not include separate AncestryDNA participant lineages. No additional AncestryDNA lineage has been supplied for this page; absence from that register is not evidence of nonparticipation. Public results identify participants by kit number only.
Keep the Story Growing
Help Build the Family Story
Mary and Alexander’s family connects the Guthries of South Hico with households across Tennessee, Illinois, Texas, and beyond. Wills and deeds preserve the earliest connections; marriage records, census households, and family papers carry the story into succeeding generations.
If your research includes the McMenamy, McMenaway, Blurton, Ward, Harpole, Robertson, or related families, please share photographs, Bible entries, letters, cemetery records, and complete document images. A carefully identified source may resolve one of the remaining dates or reveal a family connection that has been overlooked.
Researched & Curated by Ann Guthrie