SAMUEL GUTHRIE & MARGARET KNOX
of New Castle County, Delaware

SAMUEL GUTHRIE
Parents: Samuel Guthrie b. c1680-1700 – d. 1746DE & Mary (MNU)
Birth: Est. 1720-1725, Definitely before 1746
Birth Location: Pennsylvania or Delaware
Marriage: October 1745 at Holy Trinity ‘Old Swedes‘ Church in Wilmington, Delaware
Occupation: Unknown
Military Service: French & Indian War (1753-63)
Death: 1765-1773
Death Location: Unknown, presumably in St George’s Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware
Burial: Unknown
Notes:
Samuel Guthrie is believed to be the 6th of 7 children likely born between 1710 and 1730. He was married in 1745, and so was likely to be at least 20 years of age at the time. A probably birth year range is 1720-1725.

“Samuel Gothrey and Margaret Kanots” were married at Holy Trinity Church aka ‘Old Swedes’ in Wilmington, Delaware.

Samuel Guthrie patented property in St George’s Hundred, New Castle County, DE extending from Drawyer Creek to Mount Pleasant Road encompassing 106 acres. This property neighbored Vail’s patent and was later acquired by Mary Houston.

Samuel Guthrie sometime between 1765 and 1773 “in the lifetime” of his mother Mary whose estate was assigned letters of administration in February 1773. His two youngest sons, Robert and James, selected their eldest brother William as their guardian during a Orphans’ Court Proceeding in April of 1778 (Liber F, Folio 2).

MARGARET KNOX
Parents: Unidentified
Birth: Unknown
Birth Location: Unknown
Death: Unknown
Death Location: Unknown, presumably New Castle County, Delaware
Burial: Unknown
Notes:
There are a few random Knotts, Kanots, Knox entries in the records for Holy Trinity ‘Old Swedes’ church, but none that pinpoint Margaret’s parentage.

Children: 4 Known

WILLIAM GUTHRIE
b. 1746-1757 – d. 1781-4

William Guthrie appears to have been the eldest son of the family. Upon their father’s death about April of 1778, the two younger brothers petitioned the court to have William assigned as their legal guardian. They were old enough to make their own request, but probably too young to be considered adults or to enlist in the war.

According to the details found in ‘American Guthrie and Allied Families’ William was a soldier in a Delaware Regiment during the Revolutionary War serving in Capt. Enoch Anderson’s Company. Anderson was active in recruiting during the months of Dec 1776 – Jan 1777. William Guthrie was captured and held prisoner by the British for 11 months and was released during a prisoner exchange on 19 July 1778. He returned to the same company and received back pay remaining with the company until August of 1778.

During this same time, his father died and his brothers petitioned that William be named as their legal guardian. I am not sure how that works when one’s guardian is a prisoner of the British at the time, so we might need to confirm that this is the same William Guthrie, especially considering that name is found just a short distance away in the Mill Creek Hundred folks from GFG6.

William reportedly rejoined military service, this time in Captain John Patten’s Company of Light Infantry, Delaware Regiment, and in various other locations until finally his company was mustered at Hillsboro, North Carolina on 7 Sep 1781 and participated in the Battle of Eutaw Springs on the 8th. William died that day.

There is no evidence of William Guthrie having married or had children.

Y-DNA Project Participants: N/A – No Verifiable Descendants
Autosomal DNA Project Participants: N/A – No Verifiable Descendants

SAMUEL GUTHRIE
b. 1748-1757 – d.1826DE
Since Samuel Guthrie did not petition the court for appointment of a guardian upon his father’s death, it is believed that he was at least 21 years old at the time. I do not have a record of his participation in the Revolutionary War, although he did take an Oath of Allegiance swearing faith and loyalty to the Delaware State. He married Susannah Edwards with whom he had a large family: William, Jane, John Edwards, (Unidentified Son), Mary, Sarah, and Samuel. They attended Pencader Presbyterian Church. Samuel owned 4 parcels of land in the Glasgow vicinity in New Castle County upon his death in 1826. The Orphans’ Court took jurisdiction over his property. In 1833 2 of the 4 tracts were conveyed to his eldest son, William Guthrie. The other two were sold at auction.

Children:
1) William Guthrie 1778DE-1854DE married Maria Magens +children
2) Jane Guthrie 1785-90DE-bef.1827DE married (FNU) Thomas. No known children.
3) John Edwards Guthrie 1789DE-aft.1820 married Ann ‘Nancy’ Blackburn +children
4) Unidentified Son born 1791-1800DE – died in childhood before 1810.
5) Mary Guthrie b.1791-1800DE married William Aspy. +unidentified children
6) Sarah Guthrie b. 1793DE – d. before 1827DE married John Gordon. No known children
7) Samuel H Guthrie b.1797DE – d.1871-80, possibly in KY married Rebecca Driggs +children

Y-DNA Project Participants: No
Autosomal DNA Project Participants: No

ROBERT GUTHRIE
b. Est 1758-1768 – d. Aft. 1820
Robert was under 21 years of age in April 1778 when he and his younger brother James petitioned the court to have William Guthrie assigned as their legal guardian. Presumably too young to be a soldier in the Rev. War. In 1790, he and Samuel Guthrie are listed in the Reconstructed Census (Tax Records) for Pencader Hundred, New Castle County, DE. By 1800, he appears to have married. The census shows him living in the household with a wife, 5 sons, 5 daughters and a woman of 45+ years of age who might be a mother or mother-in-law. The family is still in Pencader Hundred in 1810, also listed with 3 other ‘free persons’ and 1 slave. In 1820, the family is listed with 4 free persons of color living in the household. I found no further records for Robert and have not yet identified any family members.

Guthrie Sons: 5 Unidentified (presumably)
Guthrie Daughters: 5 Unidentified (presumably)

Y-DNA Project Participants: N/A – No Identified & Verified Guthrie Sons
Autosomal DNA Project Participants: N/A – No Identified & Verified Children

JAMES GUTHRIE
b. Abt 1766 (Est. 1758-1768) – d. 1812-15
The genetic relationship between James Guthrie’s descendants and the rest of Samuel Guthrie & Margaret Knox’s sons should be confirmed with YDNA testing. For now, the relationship remains theoretical. James’ descendants have been confirmed to belong to GFG2A.

James Guthrie, along with his brother Robert Guthrie, both presumably under the age of 21 petitioned the court in April 1788 after their father’s death for the assignment of a legal guardian, selecting their eldest brother, William.

Sometime during the next 10 years, James moved from New Castle, Delaware to Pennsylvania and married Elizabeth Eilor. The marriage most likely occurred between 1785-88. They initially lived in Union, Fayette, Pennsylvania and then in 1800 James purchased 100 acres of property adjacent to John Sapp in Monongalia County, Virginia. He and Elizabeth had 10 children: 4 sons and 6 daughters.

James signed up to fight during the War of 1812 dying sometime between 1812-1815. Records show that he was summoned to court in 1814 to testify on behalf of Absolem Brandon. In 1815 he was shown to be delinquent on his taxes and failed to show up in court to testify on behalf of John Basnett, presumably because he had died by that date.

His widow Elizabeth survived him by 25-35 years. She lived in Tyler, Virginia during the 1830s and in 1840 is believed to be the older female living in the household of her son-in-law, Robert Lyons, also in Tyler, Virginia. Tyler was renamed Wetzel in 1846 and eventually became part of West Virginia.

Children:
1) James Guthrie b.1789PA-1845OH married Louisa Rebecca Naylor +children
2) William Guthrie b.1790-1810PA – died after 1810 census. No further data.
3) Polly Guthrie b. 1790-1810PA. No further data.
4) Betsey Guthrie b. 1790-1810PA. No further data.
5) Edmund Guthrie born 1790-1800 – died 1834-36 VA (WV) married Elizabeth Sapp +children
6) Robert Guthrie b.1790PA-1874WV married Castilla Simpson +children
7) Sarah Guthrie b.1797PA-1877WV married Benjamin Franklin Sapp +children
8) Catherine Guthrie b.1799PA-1880OH married Barrick Murphey +children
9) Hannah Guthrie b.1801PA-1883WV married Jacob E Kerns +children
10) Margaret Guthrie b.1812PA-1889OH married Robert Lyons +children

Y-DNA Project Participants: Yes
Autosomal DNA Project Participants: Yes

Primary Sources

Primary sources are original records or documents created at the time of the events, providing direct evidence for Samuel Guthrie’s life, family, and descendants.

1. Church Records: Marriage Register Entry Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church. “Marriage of Samuel Gothrey and Margaret Kanots.” Church Records, Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware, October 1745.
   • Contribution: Confirms the marriage date and spelling variations (e.g., “Gothrey” and “Kanots”), establishing the union as the foundation for the family line.
   • Nuances and Implications: Spelling inconsistencies are common in 18th-century records due to phonetic transcription by clerks; this supports the identification of Margaret as Knox. No baptismal records for children are mentioned, which could indicate incomplete church documentation or family mobility. Researchers should cross-reference with Swedish colonial archives for fuller context.
   • Access Considerations: Available through digitized collections like Ancestry.com or the Delaware Historical Society.
2. Land Records: Patent Deed New Castle County Land Records. “Patent to Samuel Guthrie for 106 Acres in St. George’s Hundred.” Drawyer Creek to Mount Pleasant Road, neighboring Vail’s Patent, New Castle County, Delaware, circa 1745–1765 (exact patent date not specified in blog). Later acquired by Mary Houston.
   • Contribution: Documents Samuel’s land ownership, location, and economic status, providing geographical context for family settlement.
   • Nuances and Implications: Land patents often reflect colonial surveying practices; the adjacency to Vail’s patent helps trace neighbor networks and potential intermarriages. Loss of original deeds in fires or wars is a common edge case—verify via Delaware State Archives for chain-of-title details. This source implies Samuel’s role as a yeoman farmer, influencing descendant migrations.
   • Access Considerations: Delaware Public Archives, Land Records Division; microfilm or online via FamilySearch.
3. Court Records: Orphans’ Court Proceedings New Castle County Orphans’ Court. “Guardianship Selection for Robert and James Guthrie.” Liber F, Folio 2, April 1778. Related to the estate of Mary Guthrie (letters of administration, February 1773). New Castle County, Delaware.
   • Contribution: Establishes Samuel’s death window (1765–1773) and family structure, with sons Robert and James choosing brother William as guardian, indicating minor status at the time.
   • Nuances and Implications: Orphans’ Court handled minor inheritances post-parental death; this highlights sibling dynamics and maternal estate involvement. Potential gaps if records were damaged during the Revolutionary War. Implies economic stability, as guardianship often involved property oversight. Cross-check with probate indexes for related petitions.
   • Access Considerations: Delaware Public Archives; digitized on Ancestry.com or Fold3.
4. Census and Tax Records: Reconstructed and Federal Censuses
   • New Castle County Tax Records (Reconstructed 1790 Census). “Samuel Guthrie and Robert Guthrie, Pencader Hundred.” New Castle County, Delaware, 1790.
   • U.S. Federal Census. “Robert Guthrie Household.” Pencader Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware, 1800 (includes wife, children, and additional persons), 1810, and 1820 (notes free persons of color).
   • Contribution: Tracks household compositions, ages, and residences for sons Samuel and Robert, aiding in descendant identification.
   • Nuances and Implications: The 1790 census is reconstructed from tax lists due to original loss in the War of 1812, introducing potential inaccuracies in enumeration. The 1820 inclusion of free persons of color suggests possible labor or extended family ties, a nuance in Delaware’s mixed free/slave economy. These records help rule out conflations with other Guthries but may undercount females or transients.
   • Access Considerations: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); online via Ancestry.com or Census.gov.
5. Military Records: Service Rosters and Muster Rolls
   • French and Indian War Records. “Samuel Guthrie Service.” Delaware Militia, 1753–1763.
   • Revolutionary War Records. “William Guthrie, Delaware Regiment under Capt. Enoch Anderson (Dec 1776–Jan 1777, captured and exchanged July 19, 1778) and Capt. John Patten’s Company (mustered Hillsboro, NC, Sep 7, 1781; died at Battle of Eutaw Springs, Sep 8, 1781).” Compiled Service Records, National Archives.
   • War of 1812 Records. “James Guthrie Service and Death (1812–1815).” Including court summons in 1814, Pennsylvania and Virginia units.
   • Contribution: Verifies military involvement, death dates (e.g., William’s), and movements, linking family to broader historical events.
   • Nuances and Implications: Muster rolls often have abbreviations or errors; William’s capture highlights prisoner exchanges’ complexities. James’s multi-state service reflects border mobility, with death estimates from summons implying probate delays. Edge cases include pension denials for lack of proof—useful for Y-DNA corroboration. These imply patriotic leanings but also war’s toll on family continuity.
   • Access Considerations: NARA Compiled Military Service Records; Fold3 or Ancestry.com military collections.
6. Probate Records: Estate Administration New Castle County Probate Records. “Samuel Guthrie (d. 1826) Estate, Orphans’ Court Jurisdiction.” Including land conveyance to son William in 1833 and auction of tracts. New Castle County, Delaware.
   • Contribution: Details inheritance and land distribution for son Samuel, confirming lineage continuity.
   • Nuances and Implications: Probate often reveals heirs; the 1833 conveyance suggests delayed settlements due to disputes or minorities. Potential for unrecorded oral wills in frontier areas. This source strengthens ties to Glasgow, DE, but gaps in earlier probates (e.g., father’s) limit full estate tracing.
   • Access Considerations: Delaware Public Archives; indexed on FamilySearch.
7. Oath Records: Loyalty Oath Delaware State Records. “Samuel Guthrie Oath of Allegiance to Delaware.” New Castle County, circa 1777–1778 (during Revolutionary period).
   • Contribution: Confirms son Samuel’s allegiance, distinguishing him from Loyalists and aiding in identity verification.
   • Nuances and Implications: Oaths were mandatory for property owners; refusal could lead to confiscation, implying compliance for land retention. Rare for women or minors, focusing on adult males. Edge case: Multiple Samuel Guthries could cause confusion—contextualize with land records.
   • Access Considerations: Delaware Historical Society or published compilations like “Delaware’s Revolutionary Oaths.”

Secondary Sources

Secondary sources interpret or compile primary data, offering analysis, context, or synthesized narratives.

1. Book: Genealogical Compilation Guthrie, Laurence Rawlin. American Guthrie and Allied Families. Chambersburg, PA: Kerr Printing Co., 1933 (or relevant edition).
   • Contribution: Provides detailed accounts of William Guthrie’s Revolutionary War service, including company assignments, capture, exchange, and death at Eutaw Springs, supplementing primary military records.
   • Nuances and Implications: As a 20th-century compilation, it draws from family lore and archives but may include errors from oral histories. Useful for allied families (e.g., Knox connections) but verify against primaries. Implications include broader Guthrie diaspora mapping; however, it predates DNA, so modern updates are needed. Potential bias toward prominent lines.
   • Access Considerations: Available in libraries like the FamilySearch Library or digitized on Internet Archive.
2. Genetic Genealogy Projects: Y-DNA and Autosomal DNA Analysis Guthrie Family Group Project (GFG2A). “Y-DNA and Autosomal DNA Results for Descendants of James Guthrie.” Administered by Guthrie Genealogy or FamilyTreeDNA, ongoing as of blog post (references confirmed participants and lack of verifiable descendants for other sons).
   • Contribution: Confirms patrilineal descent for James’s line via Y-DNA haplogroups; autosomal matches identify related participants, ruling out connections for William, Samuel, and Robert.
   • Nuances and Implications: DNA is a powerful secondary tool but depends on participant pools—small samples may miss branches. Privacy concerns limit full disclosure; false positives from non-paternity events are an edge case. Implications for the blog: Strengthens James’s lineage while highlighting research gaps for others, encouraging further testing. Represents modern interdisciplinary genealogy, blending science with history.
   • Access Considerations: FamilyTreeDNA or similar platforms; project summaries on genealogy blogs or wikis.