GUTHRIE RESEARCH BY LOCATION

Admitted to the Union: December 14, 1819 (from Alabama Territory, established 1817).
A key destination for early 19th-century migration from South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia.

ALABAMA ONLINE GENEALOGY RECORDS
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY
LIST of ALABAMA COUNTIES, FORMATION DATES, and MAPS

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP CONNECTIONS in ALABAMA:

• GFG2A – Branch K: Descendants of Robert Guthrie (c1745–c1825) & Betsy (MNU) of South Carolina & Georgia, who migrated into northern Alabama. Multiple sons settled in what became Walker and Winston Counties (originally part of Walker). Key early figures include William Guttery (1778–1825, Walker Co.), Leroy “Lee” Guthrie (1774–1847), and John Guthrie/Guttery (1781–1869). This branch is strongly represented in the Walker County area; Guthrie Creek (and the associated Guthrie Creek Mine near Jasper) is likely connected to these settlers. Courthouse fires (e.g., Winston Co. 1891) destroyed many local records, but land deeds and censuses survive in state archives.
• GFG13 – Branch C: Descendants of Edwin Guthrie (1808 SC – c1875 AL) & Mary Elizabeth Cagle, of South Carolina, Georgia & Alabama. Primary settlement in Winston County, Alabama (often called “the Guthries of Winston County”). Haplogroup I-M223 confirmed via Y-DNA.
• GFG11: Descendants of John Franklin Guthrie (b. 15 Sep 1802 AL – 1858 TX) & Mary Swoap (Rutherford Co. TN). Early presence in Jackson County, Alabama by 1830 before moving west to Texas. Limited early Alabama census data (no 1800/1810 federal censuses) makes precise parentage challenging.
• GFG5 – Branch G: Descendants of William Franklin Guthrie & Caroline Julia Bailey of Forsyth/Cobb Counties, Georgia, who migrated into Blount and Cullman Counties, Alabama.
• Other / Ungrouped or Emerging Lines: Includes Thomas Yoner Guthrie (c1803 TN – bef. 1880 AL) & wives Elizabeth Luttrell / Emeline Markham of Madison County (probate and deed records survive); Anslem Guthrie (b. 1796 VA) who married Matilda Brock in Limestone County (1822); scattered Guthries in Jefferson, Walker, and other northern counties. Some lines show ties to broader SC/GA/TN migrations. Y-DNA testing through the Guthrie DNA Project is encouraged for unplaced Alabama lineages.

RESEARCH NOTES: Alabama Records Context Alabama’s early records reflect rapid settlement after the Creek Indian Wars and land openings in the 1810s–1830s. Many Guthries arrived as part of post-Revolutionary and early-statehood migrations. County courthouses hold probate, marriage, deed, and court records, but frequent losses occurred due to fires (e.g., Winston 1891, others during the Civil War era). State-level resources at the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) and FamilySearch collections are essential. Land patents (Bureau of Land Management) and federal censuses (1820 onward) often provide the best starting points. Revolutionary War service is rare in Alabama proper (most early Guthries were too young or arrived later), but War of 1812, Creek War, and Civil War records are relevant for many lines.

SOURCE: Alabama Marriages and Early Vital Records (Examples from County Collections) (Compiled from FamilySearch and ADAH-indexed sources; full images often available on FamilySearch or Ancestry.)

Additional marriages appear in Jefferson, Blount, and Cullman Counties in later generations. Search Alabama County Marriages, 1711–1992 on FamilySearch for complete indexed results.

SOURCE: Alabama Probate & Land Records (Selected Guthrie Entries) Alabama probate records (wills, estates, guardianships) are digitized in “Alabama, Probate Records, 1809–1985” (FamilySearch) and Ancestry’s Wills & Probate collection. Examples tied to known branches:

• Madison County: Thomas Yoner Guthrie probate references (1809–1985 collection); deed indexes show Guthrie entries in the 1830s (Direct Index E–G, images available via FamilySearch Film 008121340).
• Walker / Winston Counties: William Guttery estate (c1825) and related land distributions for sons Leroy/Lee and John. Note: Many Winston records were lost in the 1891 fire; surviving abstracts are at ADAH.
• General Index Tip: Search “Guthrie,” “Guttery,” “Guthery,” and phonetic variants in county probate indexes (1808–1870 statewide index available via FamilySearch/Ancestry).

Land records (deeds, patents) are particularly strong for early Alabama Guthries because many received federal land grants in the 1820s–1840s. Check the U.S. Bureau of Land Management GLO records alongside county deed books.

NEEDED DATA
Several small Alabama Guthrie collections or microfilmed items at the Family History Library or ADAH would benefit from targeted review:

• Winston County reconstructed records (post-1891 fire).
• Blount/Cullman probate packets for GFG5 lines.
• Madison County deed books (1810–1886 indexes already partially transcribed on FamilySearch).
• Civil War pension files or Confederate service records for Alabama Guthries (many served in northern Alabama units).

If you have extracted Guthrie data from these or other Alabama repositories, please share in the comments!

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