GUTHRIE RESEARCH TREE: GFG17

GFG17: Guthries of Menmuir & Cortachy, Angus, Scotland

Imagine standing in the lush gardens of Edinburgh, gazing up at a weathered statue of a man in clerical robes, his arm protectively around a child. This is the enduring tribute to the Very Rev. Thomas Guthrie, a descendant of humble farmers from Angus, whose legacy of compassion continues to inspire gatherings of Guthries from around the world. But who were the roots of this remarkable family tree? Welcome to Guthrie Family Group 17 (GFG17), where centuries of Scottish history, genetic discoveries, and personal stories intertwine to reveal a tapestry of resilience, faith, and community.

Historical Roots in Angus: A Land of Guthries

The Guthries of GFG17 trace their origins to the fertile lands of Angus (formerly Forfarshire), Scotland—a region steeped in agricultural tradition and historical drama. From the early 18th century, Guthries were so prevalent in the parish of Menmuir that local lore claims they could traverse five miles from Cruick Water to West Water solely on lands held by those bearing the name. This abundance speaks to their roles as tenant farmers, merchants, and ministers, far removed from the noble Guthries of Guthrie Castle (GFG1A), yet equally vital to Scotland’s social fabric.

The area’s history includes turbulent events like the Jacobite Rebellions of 1715 and 1745, where loyalties were tested, and favors from the past could save a family’s livelihood—such as the return of requisitioned horses by the Duke of Cumberland. These stories, passed down through generations, highlight the Guthries’ resourcefulness and connections within Presbyterian and Jacobite circles.

Progenitors: David Guthrie and Janet Stewart

At the heart of GFG17 are David Guthrie (c. 1650–p. 1732) and his wife Janet Stewart, tenant farmers in Cookston and Balbirnie Mill, Menmuir. While David’s exact parentage remains elusive, records show him as a prosperous farmer whose family expanded across Angus. Janet Stewart’s background is similarly undocumented—no marriage contract or noble ties confirmed, despite some speculative claims linking her to the Earls of Moray. Their 11 children, born between 1682 and 1705, laid the foundation for the branches we explore today:

• John (1682)
• David (1683)
• Jean (1684)
• Alexander (1687)
• Janet (1690)
• Isobell (1692)
• James (1696)
• Marie (1700)
• James (1701)
• Elizabeth (1703)
• Robert (1705)

These siblings’ descendants migrated within Angus and beyond, blending farming with emerging trades amid Scotland’s industrial shifts. Genetic evidence from the Guthrie DNA Project confirms their shared paternal line, designated as haplogroup R-M222, distinct from other Guthrie groups.

The Guthrie DNA Project: Genetic Insights

GFG17 is represented by three men in the Guthrie DNA Project: two with Y-37 tests and one with Y-67, all matching under R-M222. This haplogroup, common in Irish and Scottish lines, suggests ancient Celtic origins, but GFG17’s profile is unique among Guthries.

• Key Findings: Close matches between branches confirm common ancestry with David and Janet. Autosomal DNA from descendants in Australia and the USA triangulates connections.
• Participants Needed: More Y-DNA testers could resolve speculative links. If you’re a male Guthrie descendant, consider joining to refine the tree.
• Implications: DNA bridges gaps in patchy records, revealing global cousins and challenging myths (e.g., no noble Stewart ties for Janet).

Branches of GFG17: A Comparative Chart

GFG17 diverges into three main branches, each descending from different sons of David Guthrie and Janet Stewart. Below is a chart summarizing their founding couples, connections, key figures, locations, and DNA status. Links to detailed branch pages provide deeper dives into lineages, with speculative elements noted for transparency.

For full lineages, explore:

• Branch A: John Guthrie & Helen Wyllie
• Branch B: David Guthrie & Elspet Christie
• Branch C: Charles Guthrie & Isabella Lyall

Developing Theories and Speculative Connections

While Y-DNA solidifies the core, connections remain speculative in places due to incomplete Old Parish Records (OPRs). For instance:

• Branch A’s link hinges on the 1745 horse story—Rev. Thomas Guthrie names great-grandfather David, but History of Brechin says John, possibly a transcription error.
• Branch B’s Robert Guthrie’s dual marriages create generational gaps; further autosomal matches could clarify.
• Branch C’s emigration adds migration nuances—DNA from American descendants might reveal lost siblings.

CLAIM to FAME

REVEREND THOMAS GUTHRIE / 1803SCT-1873SCT
Scottish Devine (Episcopal Minister) / Philanthropist

No figure embodies GFG17’s spirit more than Thomas Guthrie, a preacher, philanthropist, and social reformer whose work transformed lives during Scotland’s Victorian era. Born in Brechin as the 12th child of merchant banker David Guthrie and Clementina Cay, Thomas descended from GFG17’s Branch A. His early life in Angus instilled a deep empathy for the poor, shaping his dual career in ministry and advocacy.

Early Life and Education

From age 12, Thomas studied at the University of Edinburgh, initially pursuing surgery and anatomy under the infamous Dr. Robert Knox (later linked to the Burke and Hare scandals). Shifting to divinity, he was ordained in 1827 at Arbirlot, where he honed his eloquent preaching style, drawing crowds with vivid, heartfelt sermons.

Ministry and the Free Church

In 1837, Thomas moved to Edinburgh, serving at Old Greyfriars and later St. John’s. He championed the Free Church of Scotland during the 1843 Disruption, rejecting state interference in church affairs. As Moderator in 1862, he influenced national religious policy.

Philanthropy and Social Reform

Thomas’s true legacy lies in his fight against poverty and vice. Horrified by Edinburgh’s slums, he founded “Ragged Schools” in 1847—free education for destitute children, inspiring similar institutions worldwide, including Dr. Barnardo’s. A fervent temperance advocate, he authored The City: Its Sins and Sorrows (1857), decrying alcohol’s toll on families. His efforts raised funds for manse buildings and supported the blind and deaf.

Personal Life and Legacy

Married to Anne Burns, Thomas fathered 10 children, several following in ministerial footsteps. He died in 1873, honored with a statue in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, depicting him with a ragged school child—a symbol of mercy. Descendants still gather there for “Guthrie Gatherings,” celebrating their heritage. His work’s nuances? While groundbreaking, it reflected Victorian paternalism, yet its impact on child welfare endures, influencing modern social policies.

Thomas’s autobiography reveals family pride in their farmer roots, distancing from aristocratic Guthries, confirmed by Y-DNA mismatch with GFG1A.

LINEAGES ASSOCIATED with GFG17

GUTHRIE-WYLLIE
John Guthrie (born c1725 – died 1820) and Helen Wyllie / Resided in Knowhead, Menmuir

GUTHRIE-CHRISTIE
David Guthrie (born 1759 – died bet. 1841-51) and Elspet Christie / Resided in Hyndhaugh, Cortachy

GUTHRIE-LYALL
Charles Guthrie 1781SCT – 1857 and Isabella Lyall / Resided in Tannadice and Brechin, Angus

DEVELOPING THEORIES

The autobiography of Rev. Thomas Guthrie provides some insight into his ancestry confirming his family line back to his grandfather, John Guthrie, a tenant farmer in Knowhead. He also tells of his great-grandfather David Guthrie, but there is little information provided to identify him. David Guthrie was a tenant of the Earl of Panmure, who had lost both title and estates for his part in the Rebellion of 1715. Thirty years later, in 1745, prior to the battle of Culloden, the Duke of Cumberland and his forces passed through the area gathering horses from the nearby farms. Having done a favor in some previous year for Mr Willison, a preacher in the Kirk of Scotland, whose Presbyterian principles and Jacobite leanings were not in accordance with the feelings of the people in Brechin, David Guthrie wrote to Willison who in turn wrote to the Duke of Cumberland. The Guthrie horses were returned to the farm.

Note that the History of Brechin changes the story of the Duke of Cumberland and the Guthrie horses by naming the man who solicited Willison’s help as being John Guthrie, tenant of Kincraig. This creates a bit of a grey area in Rev. Thomas Guthrie’s family history.

If Rev. Thomas Guthrie is correct, the father of John Guthrie of Knowhead is named David. Did the ‘History of Brechin’ author simply latch onto the name of Thomas’ grandfather, John? Is Kincraig the place that John grew up prior to settling in Knowhead during his married life?

We now have a 2nd genetically related line for comparison proven by YDNA testing. This family also traces their line back to a man named David Guthrie. This one is more recent, born in 1759, and married to Elspet Christie. This family lived in Hyndhaugh in Cortachy.

The paper trail is patchy in places, but appears to lead back to the Most Recent Common Ancestors of our participants as being David Guthrie in Cookston & Balbirnie Mill and his wife Janet Stewart.

This couple had: John (1682), David (1683), Jean (1684), Alexander (1687), Janet (1690), Isobell (1692), James (1696), Marie (1700), James (1701), Elizabeth (1703), and Robert (1705).

Speculative Connection: David Guthrie, born 1683, living in Kincraig, which is quite near Balbirnie Mill, could be father of John Guthrie of Knowhead, and therefore the great-grandfather David Guthrie mentioned by Rev Thomas Guthrie.

There are several other paths for John Guthrie of Knowhead to be connected as a grandson of David Guthrie and Janet Stewart, but none of them would allow for John’s father to be named David. If the History of Brechin is correct about the name, the John’s father could have been John Guthrie born in 1682. Alexander (1687) could also be in the running as his youngest documented child was born just a couple of years before John. The two youngest sons, James (1701) and Robert (1705), are probably out of the running because while they were men in 1745, they were still boys during the 1715 Rebellion and would not have been the ancestor Rev Thomas Guthrie described as planning to ride out with the Earl of Panmure.

We speculate this is the correct ancestral path:
David Guthrie/Janet Stewart > David Guthrie in Kincraig > John Guthrie/Helen Wyllie > David Guthrie/ Clementina Cay > Rev Thomas Guthrie/Anne Burns (Participant’s GGP)

Our 2nd line is that of David Guthrie, a farmer in Cortachy. He married Elspet Christie on 21 Nov 1786 in Cortachy.

Speculative Connection: Old Parish Records for Cortachy list a David Guthrie baptized on 27 April 1759 whose father is Robert Guthrie in Bogside. The marriage and birth records available leave us with an incomplete picture of Robert’s family. It appears that he was twice married: Margaret Nicoll (1731) and Helen Addieson/Eddieson (abt. 1754). The latter couple was also associated with Craigtown in Tannadice, which may be where Helen’s family lived, and Glenmoy.

David Guthrie/Janet Stewart > [John/David/Alexander] > John Guthrie/Helen Wyllie > David Guthrie/Clementina Cay > Rev. Thomas Guthrie/Anne Burns (Participant’s GGP)

David Guthrie/Janet Stewart > Robert Guthrie in Bogside > David Guthrie/Elspet Christie > James Guthrie/Margaret Ogilvy > John Guthrie/Marjory Lindsay > Andrew Lindsay Guthrie/Margaret Ann Edward (Participant’s GGP)

There are representatives of John Guthrie/Helen Wyllie descendants among our Autosomal DNA project participants from Australia and the USA.

Triangulating Connections: A third Y-DNA participant has now entered the arena. His ancestor David Guthrie, born in Scotland about 1835, arrived in New York when he was just a teenager, along with his parents, Charles and Agnes Guthrie. A trail of documentation takes this line back several generations to Alexander Guthrie (I) (born about 1687) who lived in Balfour, another son of David Guthrie and Janet Stewart. Alexander Guthrie (I) and wife Anne Ker are now in place as the progenitors of GFG17-Branch C.

David Guthrie/Janet Stuart > Alexander Guthrie (I)/Anne Ker > Alexander Guthrie (II)/Jean Wyllie > Alexander Guthrie (III)/Barbara Suttie > Charles Guthrie/Isabella Lyall > Charles Guthrie/Agnes (MNU) > David Guthrie/Catherine Wymans (Participant’s GGP)

These genealogical pathways lead back to David Guthrie (c1650 – p1732) and Janet Stewart in Cookson & Menmuir.

🧩 Is This Your Piece of the Puzzle?

Your family story is a thread in a global tapestry.

While you may only know your immediate relatives, you are genetically linked to thousands of Guthrie cousins across the globe. That “minor” detail in your grandmother’s journal or that obscure Bible record in your attic could be the missing link a fellow researcher has been hunting for decades.

How You Can Help:

• Share Your Knowledge: Have you found a record that clarifies an ancestor’s location?
• Contribute a Story: Do you have a family legend or a photo that brings a branch to life?
• Write with Us: Want to feature your branch in an article? We can help you draft it!
• Solve a Mystery: Are you a DNA enthusiast? Help us analyze pattern markers.

Don’t let your branch of the tree remain a secret. [Contact Ann] today to share info, suggest an article, or start a collaboration.

Let’s write the next chapter of the GFG17 story together.