GFG17
Guthrie Genealogy
Guthrie Family Group 17
Menmuir · Cortachy · Tannadice · Brechin
Angus, Scotland & branches beyond
Farm names, family memories, and closely matching DNA lead us through this Angus family. Explore the branches—and the questions that could take their story further.
Open the GFG17 Research Tree →Origin Theories & Open Questions
Family traditions give us places and people to investigate. The goal is to follow those clues until we can explain what happened—and show the evidence behind each connection.
Branch A · The Kincraig connection
From David of Kincraig to John of Knowhead
The current reconstruction follows David Guthrie, baptized in 1683, son of David and Janet, to John Guthrie of Knowhead, born about 1732/33. John and Helen Wyllie were the grandparents of Rev. Thomas Guthrie.
Our Thomas Guthrie research discusses this connection. The identity of David of Kincraig’s wife remains unresolved, and the family horse story leaves a separate question about which ancestor was involved.
Help investigate: marriage records, estate papers, leases, and records naming the family at Kincraig and Knowhead.
Branch B · Reconstructing the household
Robert of Bogside: One Man or Two?
The Cortachy line is reconstructed through Robert Guthrie of Bogside, identified with David and Janet’s son born in 1705, and his son David, born about 1759, who married Elspet Christie.
The working account gives Robert two wives: Margaret Nicoll, married in 1731, and later Helen Eddieson/Addison. Could some later records instead concern a younger Robert?
The long span of the household records makes this worth checking. Compare the original entries, residences, witnesses, and children before treating every Robert in the area as the same man.
Family tradition · A favor remembered
Who Got the Guthrie Horses Back?
A family account tells of a Guthrie farmer who helped the minister John Willison move from Brechin. Years later, during the 1746 campaign, Willison’s intervention secured the return of horses taken for the army.
Rev. Thomas Guthrie’s account identifies an ancestor named David; The History of Brechin names John Guthrie, tenant of Kincraig.
The story is a useful lead, but the farmer’s identity still needs contemporary evidence. A surviving letter, estate record, or earlier account could settle the difference.
Earlier origins · Janet Stewart’s family
A Stewart Surname Is the Beginning of a Search
Janet appears with David in their children’s parish records, but her parents have not been identified. Claims connecting her to the Earls of Moray need a traceable documentary source.
A marriage contract, testament, or record naming her relatives would be especially useful. The Guthrie Y-DNA results follow the male line and cannot establish or exclude Janet’s parentage.
David’s own parents are also an open question. Records from neighboring farms may help connect this household to an earlier generation.
Most Wanted Documents
- David Guthrie and Janet Stewart: a marriage record or contract, testament, or other document naming either person’s parents.
- David of Kincraig: records identifying his wife and connecting the Kincraig and Knowhead households.
- The horse story: correspondence involving John Willison, the Duke of Cumberland, or the farmer whose horses were returned in 1746.
- Robert of Bogside: records distinguishing his marriages and children from any younger Robert in Bogside, Craigtown, or Glenmoy.
- The Alexander generations: parish and estate records linking the couples associated with Anne Ker, Jean Wyllie, and Barbara Suttie.
- Family papers and migrations: letters, photographs, Bibles, passenger records, and documents connecting relatives who remained in Scotland with those who left.
Explore the Branches
Start with the couple you recognize. Each branch page contains the family details, records, and questions behind this overview.
Branch A · Kit 711901 · Y37
John Guthrie & Helen Wyllie
John: c.1732/33–1820 · Knowhead, Menmuir
John was a tenant farmer at Knowhead. His birth estimate comes from his reported age of 87 at death, supported by the family memorial and his grandson’s account.
The tested line continues through David Guthrie and Clementina Cay to Rev. Thomas Guthrie and Anne Burns.
Descendants of John’s other sons could provide valuable comparisons outside the minister’s immediate family.
Branch B · Kit IN115719 · Y37
David Guthrie & Elspet Christie
David: c.1759–1841/51 · Hyndhaugh, Cortachy
David and Elspet married in Cortachy in 1786 and raised their family at Hyndhaugh. David later married Margaret Lindsay.
The tested line descends through James Guthrie and Margaret Ogilvy, then John Guthrie and Marjory Lindsay.
The earlier connection through Robert of Bogside remains an important focus for household and parish research.
Branch C · Kit 1015501 · Y111
Charles Guthrie & Isabella Lyall
Charles: 1781–1857 · Tannadice & Brechin
Charles and Isabella married in 1809. The family reconstruction reaches them through three generations named Alexander, associated with Anne Ker, Jean Wyllie, and Barbara Suttie.
Their son Charles and his wife Agnes took their family to America. The tested line continues through David Guthrie and Catherine Wymans.
Descendants of Charles and Isabella’s other children could add useful comparisons with the American line.
The wider family · More branches to follow
David Guthrie & Janet Stewart
Cookston & Balbirnie Mill · Menmuir
The current reconstruction follows the tested lines through their sons David, Alexander, and Robert. Their other children and descendants belong in the family story, too.
Open the eleven recorded children
- John — 1682
- David — 1683
- Jean — 1684
- Alexander — 1687
- Janet — 1690
- Isobell — 1692
- James — 1696
- Marie — 1700
- James — 1701
- Elizabeth — 1703
- Robert — 1705
Years refer to the recorded baptisms. The repeated name James suggests the earlier child died young.
DNA Findings & Testing Priorities
Three Close Matches at the Shared Y37 Level
Two participants have Y37 results and one has Y111. All three can currently be compared at 37 markers.
| Kits compared | Branches | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 711901 & IN115719 | A & B | 1 step |
| 711901 & 1015501 | A & C | 1 step |
| IN115719 & 1015501 | B & C | 2 steps |
These closely matching paternal profiles support the family connection. The distances alone cannot name the common ancestor, identify every intermediate father, or place the mutations on particular branches.
Based on the supplied match exports dated 1 October 2026.
The Y111 list · Understanding the comparison
Why Are There No Guthries on That List?
Kit 1015501 has a Y111-level export containing 20 matches at eight to ten steps. The nearest listed surnames are Hailey and Fletcher, each at eight steps.
The other two Guthrie participants have only tested to 37 markers, so they cannot appear in a 111-marker comparison. Their close matches to this kit are visible at Y37.
Compare results at the same marker level before judging which relationships deserve attention.
Other surname matches · Research leads
The Guthrie Matches Stand Out at Y37
Kit 711901 lists the two Guthrie matches at one step, a McClure match at three steps, and the remaining matches at four.
Kit IN115719 lists the Guthrie matches at one and two steps; its other listed matches are all at four steps.
These lists contain several surnames. They do not establish a specific alternative surname origin, an adoption, or an Irish birthplace for the Angus family.
What does R-M222 tell us?
R-M222 is displayed for kits 711901 and 1015501 in the supplied comparisons. Kit IN115719 displays the broader R-M269 designation. These labels reflect different levels of haplogroup resolution; the displayed difference does not negate their close STR match.
A broad haplogroup does not identify a particular Guthrie ancestor or prove descent from a named historical person. None of these three participants currently has a Big-Y result available for this comparison.
Big-Y testing of participants from at least two branches could identify a more specific shared paternal branch. Additional results would help refine that picture.
More Participation Can Take This Further
- Add independent male lines: descendants through other sons in Branches A, B, and C would strengthen the comparisons.
- Investigate the wider Cookston family: documented male-line descendants of David and Janet’s other sons could help expand the group.
- Compare more markers: upgrades for the two Y37 participants would allow direct comparisons with Branch C at higher STR levels.
- Develop a Big-Y comparison: coordinated tests from different branches could identify shared and branch-specific mutations.
- Welcome other Angus lines: a family still in Ungrouped status may supply the next connection.
Contact Ann to discuss the most useful test for your line and budget. Big Y is valuable for these research questions, but need not be every new participant’s first test.
Choosing a DNA Test · Joining the Project · Group Funding & Sponsorship
Family Stories & Further Research
Branch A · A family historian in his own words
Rev. Thomas Guthrie, D.D. · 1803–1873
Minister, reformer, and advocate for impoverished children, Thomas served in the Church of Scotland and later the Free Church. His work with Edinburgh’s Ragged Schools is part of his public legacy.
For family researchers, his autobiography also preserves memories of the farmers and merchants who came before him. Those accounts help guide the search, even where a name or generation still needs checking.
Thomas Guthrie’s Autobiography
Read the family memories that helped preserve the Knowhead and Brechin story.
Open the digitized volume →The History of Brechin
Compare the Kincraig horse account with the family tradition. The difference in names is part of the research question.
Read the historical account →Autosomal Matches Can Add Clues
Descendants through sons and daughters can compare family trees, match lists, and any available shared-segment evidence. Record the proposed common ancestors and consider other shared lines before assigning a match to the Guthrie connection.
Helen Wyllie in Branch A and Jean Wyllie in the Alexander line are identified as sisters in the branch research, providing another family connection to consider.
Bring your organized findings and questions if you need help. Explore Your Matches provides guidance and the autosomal research log.
Yes this is my Mother’s family line in the Guthrie Clan. My 2nd great grandmother Janet Guthrie born 1828 in Kilmarnok Scotland. Parents Archibald Wm Guthrie, mother Janet Grant Robertson
immigrated to Canada in 1865. They were Weavers in Bonhill Scotland. Her 5th Great grandparents was David Guthrie and Janet Stewart. My DNA on Ancestry. Ca confirms Guthrie DNA for 5 generations :To Archibald Guthrie of Bonhill born 1754. What want to know is the research is correct and Janet Stewart is the daughter of Sir Alexander Stewart, 5th Earl of Moray??
Nothing in my research identified the parents of Janet Stewart, wife of David Guthrie, a tenant at Cookston and Balbirnie Mill. I did not find a marriage record or marriage contract for the pair, which will sometimes identify the bride’s parents. Janet Stewart’s name is found with David Guthrie’s in the birth/baptismal records of their children. Nor is there any mention of lofty Stewart ancestral connections by Rev Thomas Guthrie in his memoir. Descendants of three different sons share the same direct paternal line genetic profile per YDNA testing. What source are you looking at that identifies this Janet Stewart as the daughter of the Earl of Moray?