2A-L: Wealtha Jane Guthrie
WEALTHA JANE GUTHRIE
Parents: George Guthery 1830IRE – 1872NY and Margaret Walker 1840ENG – 1910NY
Birth: 8 August 1864
Birth Location: Saint Lawrence County, New York, USA
Marriage: Frank B Peterson 17 March 1902 in St Regis Falls, New York, USA
Children: George Lester (1903)
Death: 13 July 1916
Death Location: St Regis Falls, New York, USA
Burial Location: Unknown
FRANK B PETERSON
Parents: James M Peterson Sr 1809NY-1886NY and Mary Crim 1818CAN-1909NY
Birth: July 1857
Birth Location: New York, USA
Occupation: Mason and Harness Maker
Death: Aft. 1930
Death Location: Waverly, Franklin County, New York, USA
Burial Location: Unknown
NOTES:
Wealtha Jane Guthrie is the middle daughter of the Guthrie family born on 8 August 1864. She was listed with her parents in their home in Hopkinson, St. Lawrence, New York during the 1870 census. George Guthrie, her father, was of Scot-Irish stock, born in Ireland and immigrated (we believe) to New Brunswick, Canada with his sister Evas about 1847. Mother Margaret Walker immigrated at a young age to Quebec from her birthplace in England, her father a native of Africa, presumably a former slave, and mother English, whose race could have been black, white, or mulatto. Margaret is listed as black in some records, but mulatto in others. Most records list Wealtha Jane and her siblings as mulatto, but that is not always the case. Some erroneously list them as black or white rather than mixed heritage.
The 1870 US Census of Hopkinton, St Lawrence County, New York:
GUTHERY, George K, 40, Male, White, Laborer, Ireland, Father/Mother of Foreign Birth, Cannot Read/Write
_____, Margaret, 31, Female, Black, Keeping House, England, Father/Mother of Foreign Birth
GUTHERY, Eva, 9, Female, Mulatto, Vermont, Father/Mother of Foreign Birth, Attended School
_____, Mary A, 7, Female, Mulatto, New York, Father/Mother of Foreign Birth, Attended School
_____, Wealtha J, 4, Female, Mulatto, New York, Father/Mother of Foreign Birth, Attended School
_____, Calista, 2, Female, Mulatto, New York, Father/Mother of Foreign Birth
Wealtha’s father, George Guthrie, died about 1873 leaving her mother Margaret with six children most of whom were under ten years of age.
The 1875 New York State Census lists the family with Margaret as the Head of Household:
Dickinson, Franklin County, NY
Log House (versus a Frame House)
Margaret Guthrie, 34, F, Black, England, (Listed as “now married” rather than “now widowed”) Day Laborer, Alien, Over 21 and not able to read/write
Evas C Guthrie, 14, F, Black, Daughter, Vermont, Single
Mary Ann Guthrie, 12, F, Black, Daughter, St Lawrence, Single
Wealthy J Guthrie, 9, F, Black, Daughter, St Lawrence, Single
Calista R Guthrie, 7, F, Black, Daughter, St Lawrence, Single
Martha L Guthrie 4, F, (Blank), Daughter, St Lawrence, Single
John Francis Guthrie, 1-8/12, M, (Blank), Son, Franklin, Single
By 1880, Wealtha’s mother remarried to John B. Ford, a farmer, of Irish heritage born in Canada. He raised the youngest member of the family, John Francis Guthrie, as his own son and gave the boy his name. Brother John and his descendants are known by the Ford surname. Wealtha and her sisters retained the Guthrie surname.
1880 US Census of Dickinson, Franklin County, New York.
FOARD, John B, white, male, 38, married, farmer, Self: Canada, Father: Ireland, Mother: Canada
———Margret, black, female, 39, wife, married, keeping house, Self: England, Father: Africa, Mother: England
———John F, mulatto, male, 6, son, single, Self: New York, (Step)Father: Canada, Mother: England
GUTHRIE, Evas C, mulatto, female, 19, boarder, single, Self: Vermont, Father: Ireland, Mother: England
———-Mary A, mulatto, female, 17, boarder, single, Self: New York, Father: Ireland, Mother: England
———-Wealtha J, mulatto, female, 15, boarder, single, Self: New York, Father: Ireland, Mother: England
———-Clista, mulatto, female, 12, boarder, single, at school, Self: New York, Father: Ireland, Mother: England
———-Lillie, mulatto, female, 9, boarder, single, at school, Self: New York, Father: Ireland, Mother: England
CLARK, Hiram, white, male, 22, single, laborer, Self: New York, Father: Vermont, Mother: Vermont
HANLY, John, white, male, 24, single, laborer, cannot read/write, Self: Ireland, Father: Ireland, Mother: Ireland
I have not found Wealtha Jane Guthrie listed in the 1900 Census. Her future husband, Frank B Peterson, is living at Pleasant Street, just down the road on Pleasant Street where Wealtha’s sister Mary Ann and brother-in-law Darwin Johnson were located. Frank is working as a mason and living in the household of Fred and Marcia Currier his brother-in-law and sister’s family.
Wealtha Jane Guthrie married Frank B Peterson in St Regis Falls, New York on 17 March 1902. They had one son: George Lester Peterson (1903-1990). They remained in St Regis.
Wealtha Jane Peterson died on 13 July 1916. Her husband was still living during the 1930 census. He was 70 years old at the time and still listed as working as a general mason.
Y-DNA Project Participants: N/A – Female Guthrie
Autosomal DNA Participants: No
Primary Sources
These are original records (vital events, censuses, and government documents) that directly document Wealtha Jane Guthrie (also spelled Wealthy, Welthy, or Wealtha J.; racial designations in records vary as “mulatto,” “Black,” or occasionally “White” due to family heritage and enumerator practices) and her husband Frank B. Peterson (mason/harness maker). Many are accessible via FamilySearch (free) or Ancestry (subscription). Name spellings and ages show minor variations typical of the era.
Vital Records (Marriage, Death, Parentage Confirmation)
- New York State Marriage Index, 1881–1967 (New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY). Certificate #4502. Frank B. Peterson and Wealtha J. Guthrie married 17 March 1902 in St. Regis Falls, Franklin County (or adjacent St. Lawrence County border area), New York. This is the core primary proof of marriage.
- United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936–2007. George Lester Peterson (son, b. ~1903, d. 1990) explicitly names father “Frank B. Peterson.” This confirms paternity and indirectly supports the marriage timeline (son born ~1 year after wedding). No equivalent record names Wealtha directly in the NUMIDENT extract, but census linkage confirms her as mother.
No publicly indexed New York State death certificate or index entry for Wealtha (13 July 1916, St. Regis Falls) or Frank (aft. 1930) appears in free databases; a physical certificate search at the New York State Department of Health or Franklin County clerk’s office would be required. No obituary or burial record (cemetery unknown) has been located in digitized newspapers.
Census Records (U.S. Federal and New York State) These provide consistent residence, occupation, household composition, and approximate ages/birthplaces. Racial notations (often “mulatto” for Wealtha and siblings) reflect 19th/early-20th-century recording practices.
For Wealtha Jane Guthrie (pre-marriage):
- 1870 U.S. Census, Hopkinton, St. Lawrence County, New York (Roll M593_1097, p. 346B). Wealtha J. Guthery, age 4, b. New York; with parents George Guthery (Ireland) and Margaret (England).
- 1875 New York State Census, Dickinson, Franklin County, New York (p. 15). Weathy J. Guthrie, age 9; mother Margaret listed as head of household post-George’s death.
- 1880 U.S. Census, Dickinson, Franklin County, New York (Roll 834, ED 83, p. 571B). Weltha J. Guthrie, age 15, boarder in stepfather John B. Ford’s household; occupation listed as “none.”
For the married couple (Wealtha + Frank) and son:
- 1905 New York State Census, Waverly (St. Regis Falls Village), Franklin County, New York (ED 01, p. 19). Frank Peterson (age 45, mason), wife Weathy (age 39); household includes related Peterson/Currier family members.
- 1910 U.S. Census, Potsdam, St. Lawrence County, New York (Roll T624_1074, ED 162, sheet 8B). Frank Peterson (age 52, mason), wife Welthy (age 45); married 8 years; mother of 1 child, 1 living (George Lester, enumerated in household). Residence shift from Franklin to St. Lawrence County noted.
For Frank post-Wealtha’s death:
- 1930 U.S. Census, Waverly, Franklin County, New York (cited in secondary sources below; Frank age ~70–73, general mason, widowed or living alone/near relatives). Exact enumeration details align with earlier Franklin County residences. No digitized 1920 census extract located in free searches, but continuity in St. Regis Falls/Waverly area is consistent.
Secondary Sources
Ancestry.com user-submitted family tree (Tree #3406955, person 290060673637): Cited directly in the Guthrie Genealogy blog as the source for many dates and the marriage. Contains attached images or scans of some censuses/vital indexes (viewable with subscription). Useful starting point but requires verification.
Additional Context, Nuances, Edge Cases, and Implications
- Name and Racial Variations: Records consistently show Wealtha as “Wealthy/Wealtha/Welthy” and racial fluidity (mulatto in most Guthrie-family censuses; Frank listed as White). This reflects broader 19th-century practices in mixed-heritage families in upstate New York.
- Missing Records and Research Gaps: No birth record (pre-1880s NY vital registration was spotty); no digitized death certificate or obituary for either spouse; burial unknown. Frank’s exact death date/location post-1930 remains unconfirmed in free sources. Son George Lester Peterson’s records (beyond NUMIDENT) could yield additional clues (e.g., 1940+ censuses, SSDI).
- Geographic Mobility: Family shifted between St. Lawrence (Hopkinton/Dickinson/Potsdam) and Franklin (St. Regis Falls/Waverly) counties—common for masons/laborers following work
