5-F: Mary Elizabeth Guthrie

Guthrie Family Group 5 – Branch F
Mary Elizabeth Guthrie 1827KY – ????CA and Charles L James
of Kentucky and (probably) California, USA

MARY ELIZABETH GUTHRIE
Parents: John ‘Jack’ Guthrie (1807KY – 1870CA) and Unidentified First Wife
Birth: 25 October 1827
Birth Location: Kentucky, USA
Marriage: Est. about 1848 in Missouri to Charles James
James Children: YES
Death: Bet. 1860 – 1870
Death Location: California, USA (probably in Sutter or Sonoma County)
Burial: Unknown, probably in California, USA

CHARLES L. JAMES
Parents: Unknown
Birth: Abt. 1815
Birth Location: Virginia, USA
Occupation: Farmer
Military Service: Unknown
Death: Aft. 1880
Death Location: California, USA (probably in Sonoma County)
Burial: Unknown, probably in California, USA

NOTES:

Little is available online about Mary Elizabeth Guthrie. She was the only known child of Jack Guthrie’s first wife. Born on 25 Oct 1827 in Kentucky. Mary Elizabeth married a man by the surname of James. ‘The Box Family History’ included information about Jack’s other children, which refers to her as “Aunt Mary James”. No mention of her husband or children’s names is made. Mary and her family later moved to California after the others were already settled there.

The only clue in the California census pinpointing this family is found in 1860 Yuba, Sutter, California in the household of C. James, 45, and wife Mary James, 30. Their children: Louisa 11, May A 9, Andrew J 4, and Fairville 1. The latter seems to be more clue than coincidence.

Daughters Louisa and May’s birthplace is documented as Missouri, while Andrew and Fairville are both in California, indicating that the James family moved from Missouri to California between 1851 and 1856. The Grundy County, Missouri grantor index for land deeds shows that Charles L James and his wife Mary E James sold their 81 acre property in April of 1852.

Mary appears to have died prior to the 1870 census as she is not listed with the family. The 1870 census of Analy, Sepastopol, Sonoma, California includes: Charles James 55, Louisa James 20, and Andrew James 13.

Be aware there are some ‘Name Alerts’ in the area. A man named Charles A James, born in France about 1814, was living in Calaveras, CA during the 1850 census. He returned to the New York area for a time before settling in Petaluma, Sonora, California with one of his sons. He died in 1876 and is buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Petaluma. He is not this Charles James. There is also a widow by the name of Mary E James in early 1900s censuses, who is not Mary Elizabeth (Guthrie) James.

JAMES CHILDREN: 4 – 6
Y-DNA Project Participants: N/A – Female Guthrie
Autosomal DNA Participants: NONE

POTENTIAL CHILD 1: REBECCA JAMES
Born about 1847 MO – Died before 1860
Marital Status: Single

Based on the birth location data from the 1860 and 1870 censuses, we know that daughters Louisa and May were born in the state of Missouri about 1849 and 1851. The family would have been living in that state at the time. They are not found in Jackson County, Missouri, which is where Mary Elizabeth’s parents were residing just prior to their move to California. Casting a statewide net, there is one family listing HOH Charles James born in Virginia about 1814 with a wife Mary born in Kentucky about 1828. The names, locations, and approximate birth years match. Charles and Mary James lived in Grundy, Missouri with their 2 children: Rebecca 3, and Laura 1. Charles was working as a shoemaker at the time of this census.

No further record of Rebecca James has been verified. Presumed to have died prior to 1860.

POTENTIAL CHILD 2: LAURA JAMES
Born about 1849 MO – Unknown
Marital Status: Unknown

If the 1850 Grundy, Missouri census applies to this Charles and Mary Elizabeth (Guthrie) James, then daughter Laura James was born about 1849. The original census image clearly indicates her name was Laura. Note that this is the same approximate birth year as the next child, Louisa James. It is possible that Laura’s estimated birth year was actually 1848, or that she was born pre-census in an early month and her sister born in a later month of the same year. Either Laura and Louisa are the same child, or two children separated by the distance of close pregnancies. The 1860 census does not include a child named Laura within this family.

No further record of Laura James has been verified. Presumed to have died prior to 1860 or to be the daughter named Louisa James, below.

CHILD 3: LOUISA JAMES
Born about 1849 MO – Died 17 Dec 1884 CA
Spouse: Joseph Randolph Walker m. 16 Nov 1870 in Sebastopol, Sonoma, California, USA

Daughter Louisa James was probably named for Mary Elizabeth Guthrie’s half-sister, Louisa Guthrie. She was listed with her parents and siblings in the 1860 census when they were living in Yuba, Sutter County, California. Her mother died before 1870. During that census year, her family was living in Analy, Sebastopol, Sonoma, California. Louisa was then 20 years old and keeping house for her father, Charles, 55, and her younger brother Andrew, 13. Living in the household was Joseph Walker, 41, a farmer. There were other Walker households nearby.

On 16 Nov 1870 in Sonoma County, California, Louisa James married Joseph R Walker. One tree identifies her as Louisa Josephine James. His full name was Joseph Randolph Walker (1829-1903). They had five children born between 1871 and 1881.

Louisa died at the age of 35 on 17 Dec 1884. Joseph outlived her by 19 years. He was 73 at his death on 11 Feb 1903.

Walker Children: 5
Y-DNA Project Participants: N/A – Descendant of a Female Guthrie
Autosomal DNA Participants: NONE

1.) Laura B Walker: 1871 CA – 1912 WA (m1.1888CA) Albert P Weeks +child; (m2.c1895) John F Burginger +child; (m3.1910WA) John Wesley Peter

2.) Minnie M. Walker: born about 1873 CA – died or married before 1900 – no further info

3.) Henry Lee Walker: 1875CA – 1963 CA (m.1900CA) Cora Isabel Gilbert +children

4.) George Guthrie: 1876CA – Aft. 1880 – no further details

5.) Joseph Randolph Walker Jr: 1881CA – 1957CA (m.1904CA) Florence O’Conner +children

CHILD 4: MAY A JAMES
Born about 1851MO – Died aft. 1860
Marital Status: Unknown

Our only document naming daughter May is the 1860 census of Yuba, Sutter, California. She was born in Missouri about 1851. She is not listed with the family in the 1870 census.

CHILD 5: ANDREW J JAMES aka ‘ANDY’
Born about 1855 CA – Aft. 1920 CA
Spouse: Nellie (MNU) about 1920 in California

Andrew J James was born in California about 1856. This differentiates him from a man of similar name and occupation who has connections to Canada. The documentation linking Andy to his adult years needs to be confirmed. During the 1860 census of Yuba, Sutter, California, Andrew J Guthrie was a 4 year old listed with his parents and sisters. His mother died prior to 1870. They lived in Analy, Sonoma, California. He was then 13 years old and working on the family farm. This is the last confirmed record belonging to Charles and Mary Elizabeth’s son Andrew J James.

The 1880 census finds an Andrew James born about 1857 in California, a 23 year old laborer working in the Indian Valley, Colusa, California. He is a boarder in the household of Frank and Emma Becker. His parents’ birth locations are not listed.

In 1892, Andrew James appears on a California Voter Registration lists for Williams, Colusa, California. He is listed as 36 years old, 6ft tall with a light complexion, brown hair and eyes, without any visible scars or markings. Occupation: Laborer. Birthplace: California. Date of Registration: 3 Sep, 1892.

The 1900 census lists Andy James, still single, Birth Date/Location: April 1855 California, with a father born in Virginia and mother in Missouri. He is living in Edgewood, Siskiyou, California, working as a gold miner, and renting a house.

In 1910, Andrew James of Liberty, Siskiyou, California is listed as a Gold Mine Owner, owns his own home free of mortgage, and is still a single man. His father’s birthplace is listed as Virginia, and mother’s as Missouri.

Ten years later, it appears that Andrew James has finally married. He appears in Cottonwood, Shasta, California on the 1920 census, age 63, living on a rented farm with his wife Nellie, 44. The birth locations are all consistent: California (self), Virginia (father), and Missouri (mother). He is working as an inspector in the Gold Mining industry. Nellie was born in Iowa to parents born in Virginia (father) and Indiana (mother).

The only marriage notice found that seems appropriate is the marriage of Andrew James, 64, to Margaret E Hicks in Nickerson about 1920, except that Margaret’s age is listed as 65.

The California Voter Registrations for Buckeye Precinct, Redding, Shasta, California list:
No. 58: James, Andrew, Party Affiliation: Declines, Occupation: Miner, Address: Redding
No. 59: James, Mrs Nellie, Party Affiliation: Republican, Occupation: Housewife, Address: Redding
(Complete Index to Precinct Registers of Shasta County, California for the year 1920)

Andrew J James seems to have died not long after 1920.

CHILD 6: FAIRVILLE JAMES
Born about 1859 CA – Died aft. 1860

Apparently named for her mother’s stepmother. Fairvilla (Riddell) Guthrie, this daughter was born about 1859 in Yuba, Sutter, California. She was listed as a 1 year old on the 1860 census. This is the only official record found for Fairville. Note that at least 1 online tree indicates she also went by ‘Fanny’, but that is not found in any associated document at this time.

READING and RESOURCES

Missouri: Grundy County, Jackson County
California: Sutter County, Sonoma County, Shasta County, Sisiyou County, Colusa County

DOCUMENTS: Deed Records (Grundy County, Missouri), 1841-1911, index 1841-1888
FHL 008185949 – IMG 55 of 223 – Letter J Entries – Grantor Index
1852: April 19 – James, Charles (Grantor) to E Burgess (Grantee) – Deed – Book E p402
Indenture entered 17th day of April 1852 by Charles L James and Mary E James his wife of the county of Grundy and State of Missouri of the first part and Elijah Burgess of Grundy County and state of Missouri on the second part. Consideration $130 hand paid. Real estate in Grundy: The west half of N W 1/4 of Section No 130 Town No11 Range No 24 containing 81 acres.

FHL 008185949 – IMG 158 of 223 – Letter J Entries – Grantee Index
No Entries Found

BOOK: The History of Grundy County, Missouri (1881)

DOCUMENTS: Deeds, Patents, and Homestead Records, 1849-1937 (Sutter County, California)

FHL 008099093 – Index to Grantors, 1849-1909; Index to Grantees, 1849-1908, Deeds v.A-B, 1850-1859
Grantors – Letter J Index begins IMG 111 of 811.
IMG 111 – James, Charles (grantor) to Thompson, William – 1 Apr 1864 – Book G Page 216
Indenture between Charles James of Sutter County and William Thompson of same. Consideration $300 hand paid. Land bounded by Eli D Walker, William Thompson. Containing 72 acres more or less.

Grantees – Letter J Index begins IMG 374 of 811
No Entries

The only entries found for a Charles James were for Charles G Guthrie and wife Eugenia. Not this man.

DOCUMENTS: California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 (Digital Repository: Ancestry.com)

1867 – Sonoma, California – Charles James – Age: 52, Born: Virginia, Occupation: Farmer, Residence: Santa Rosa Twp., Registration Date: 2 Apr 1867
Note that next entry is for Charles Augustus James, 61, Born: France, Occupation: Farmer, Residence Vallejo, Naturalized 18 Sep 1844 at Buffalo, NY, Registration Date: 15 Jun 1875

1879 – Sonoma, California – Charles James – Age: 60, Born: Virginia, Occupation: Farmer, Residence: Analy, Registration Date: July (remainder cut off)
Note that the next entry is for Charles Gustavus James – Age 22, Born: New York, Occupation: Farmer, Residence: Valleho, Registration Date: Apr (remainder cut off)

1880 – Sonoma, California – Charles James – Age: 62, Born: Virginia, Occupation: Farmer, Residence: Analy, Registration Date: 5 Oct 1880
Note that the next entry is for Charles Gustavus James – Age 22, Born: New York, Occupation: Farmer, Residence: Valleho, Registration Date: 21 Apr 1879

Guthrie Genealogy

5-F: Mary Elizabeth Guthrie

Like this:

5-F: Mary Elizabeth Guthrie

Share this:

Like this: