Canada

GUTHRIE RESEARCH BY LOCATION

Canada has long been a key destination for Guthrie families of Scottish and Scots-Irish descent. Migration waves included post-American Revolution Loyalists, settlers arriving after the Napoleonic Wars (1815), and large numbers fleeing the Irish Potato Famine (1840s). Many Guthries first landed in New Brunswick or Quebec before moving westward into Ontario (formerly Upper Canada/Canada West). Some lines settled permanently in the Maritimes or the St. Lawrence Valley; others continued on to the United States. Canadian Guthries are now connected through Y-DNA testing to several established Guthrie Family Groups (GFGs) in the Guthrie DNA Project. Records are primarily provincial, with national overviews available at Library and Archives Canada (BAC-LAC). This page organizes key starting points, known GFG connections, provincial resources, research tips, and opportunities for community contributions.

GENERAL ONLINE GENEALOGY RESOURCES FOR CANADA

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA & PROVINCIAL REPOSITORIES

Genealogical records in Canada are decentralized; vital statistics, land records, and many civil documents are held at the provincial level, while Library and Archives Canada (BAC-LAC) holds federal censuses, passenger lists, military records, and some land grants.

Ontario

New Brunswick

  • Provincial Archives of New Brunswick
  • Genealogy Records Online
  • Library and Archives Canada New Brunswick page
  • SOURCE: New Brunswick, Canada Births and Late Registrations, 1810-1906, Digital Images on Ancestry.
  • SOURCE: Ancestry.com. New Brunswick, Canada, Deaths, 1888-1938 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017. Original data: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Canada. Guthrie Surname Search

Quebec and Other Provinces Quebec (BAnQ) maintains extensive notarial and church records. Other provinces (Nova Scotia, British Columbia, etc.) have their own archives; consult the FamilySearch wiki for province-specific links.

LIST OF ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS, FORMATION DATES, AND MAPS

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP CONNECTIONS IN CANADA

Documented Guthrie families appear in Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Several have confirmed Y-DNA links to established GFGs.

Quebec

  • David Guthrie (b. 26 Jun 1799 Scotland) & Ann Watson – married 30 Apr 1820 in Montrose, Angus; immigrated before 1842; resided St-Armand, Missisquoi, Quebec. Presbyterian farmer/painter. Children include Edwin Watson Guthrie (who briefly lived in Vermont).
  • George Guthrie (b. ~1812–1822 Scotland) & (1) Mary Smyth / (2) Mary Beattie – farmer in Terrebonne/Lacorne area; United Presbyterian.

Ontario

  • David Guthrie (b. ~1790 Scotland) & Margaret Wyllie – married 6 Nov 1819 in Ayrshire; settled Ayr, Waterloo, Ontario; died 1834.
  • GFG6 (Branch D)– John Guthrie & Isabella Stinson lines in Whitby/Durham area and later branches.
  • GFG2A (Branch M) – Andrew Guthrie (b. ~1815 Scotland) & Susanna Thompson (immigrated via Ontario before moving to Illinois); also related lines in Huron County.
  • GFG16 – Thomas Robert Guthrie & Christina Rae (Scotland → Ontario mid-19th century).

New Brunswick

  • Alexander Guthrie (Charlotte County) and other 19th-century arrivals, some with Scots-Irish roots.
  • Additional ungrouped or partially documented lines appear in early land and church records.

Many Canadian branches still need Y-DNA testing to link them firmly to Scottish or Ulster progenitors. Attach lineages to the Guthrie Research Tree on Ancestry for clustering.

RESEARCH TIPS, NUANCES & EDGE CASES

  • Provincial jurisdiction – Civil registration start dates vary: Ontario (1869+), New Brunswick (1888+ for deaths), Quebec church records dominate until the 20th century.
  • Key record types – Canadian censuses (1851 onward), land patents/concessions, passenger lists at LAC, newspapers, probate, and church registers (Presbyterian, Anglican, Catholic).
  • Name variants – Guthrie/Guthry/Guttery; in Quebec sometimes recorded as Guthro or French-influenced spellings.
  • Cross-border movement – Pre-1900s families frequently moved between Canada and the U.S.; check both countries.
  • DNA angle – Y-DNA (Big Y preferred) connects male lines to GFGs; autosomal DNA helps with 19th-century brick walls.
  • Edge cases – Loyalist claims, British Home Children, Indigenous/Métis connections (rare but possible), and French/English record differences in Quebec. Wildcard searches and phonetic spelling are essential.

NEEDED DATA

We have solid starting points for Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick, plus DNA links for several families, but deeper parish-level extractions, full land-grant transcriptions, and Y-DNA from additional Canadian male lines are still needed—especially for the Maritime provinces and Western Canada. Contributions of records, family stories, photos, or DNA test results are always welcome. Please comment below or contact the blog/DNA project. Test and attach results to the Guthrie Research Tree on Ancestry to help connect more branches.

Last updated: March 2026. Sources include Library and Archives Canada, FamilySearch, Ancestry collections, the 2023 “Canadian Guthrie Families” blog post, and the Guthrie DNA Project.

SOURCE: New Brunswick, Canada Births and Late Registrations, 1810-1906, Digital Images on Ancestry.

SOURCE: Ancestry.com. New Brunswick, Canada, Deaths, 1888-1938 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017.Original data: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Canada.

Guthrie Surname Search

SOURCE: Ancestry.com. Ontario, Canada, Toronto Trust Cemeteries, 1826-1989 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017.Original data: Toronto Trust Cemeteries, Toronto, Canada.