GFG12
Guthrie Genealogy
Guthrie Family Group 12
Ireland · Scotland · Pennsylvania · Ohio · Indiana
Two family histories to explore. Three Y-DNA participants to compare. Help investigate the missing generations and the clues that may connect these lines.
Open the GFG12 Research Tree →Explore the Families
The familiar Branch A and Branch B labels are retained here to help readers follow the existing research while their genetic relationship is investigated. More descendants from both families are warmly invited to take part.
Branch A · Guthrie–McGibney
Robert Guthrie & Jean McGibney
County Down, Ireland → Pennsylvania → Ohio
Robert, born about 1774 in Ireland, married Jean on 9 May 1796. Their daughter Margaret Ann’s baptism in Dromore Parish, County Down, in 1797 provides an important Irish starting point.
The family settled in Peters Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, about 1800. Robert later joined family in Coshocton County, Ohio, where he died in 1854.
Y-DNA representation: kits 59978 and 1001502. The latter’s listed ancestor is Daniel Guthrie (1872–1930), within the Guthrie–McGibney line.
Explore Robert & Jean’s family →
Open the children’s names
- Margaret Ann Guthrie
- James Guthrie
- Robert Guthrie
- Thomas Guthrie
- George Guthrie
- Jane / Jean Guthrie
- Elizabeth Guthrie
- Isabella Guthrie
- Mary Guthrie
- William Guthrie
- Sarah Guthrie
- Archibald Guthrie
Branch B · Guthrie–Japp
William Guthrie & Margaret Japp
Perthshire, Scotland → Indiana
William, born about 1793 and associated with the Perth area, married Margaret in Switzerland County, Indiana, on 3 September 1828. The family moved to Cass County in 1848. William died in 1855.
His Scottish parents and earlier family remain to be identified. The family’s later history includes Judge John Guthrie, the namesake of Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Y-DNA representation: kit 56631, through William’s son James. This is the line with the prominent Benbow surname matches.
Explore William & Margaret in Family Focus →
Open the family research leads
Start in Scotland: compare the Perth-area tradition with parish records, occupations, relatives, and evidence of William’s departure for America.
Follow other sons: a qualifying male-line descendant through another son could provide an independent Y-DNA comparison with the line through James.
Follow the namesake: Judge John’s family is featured in the Oklahoma section of Claim to Fame: Places.
Compare the DNA
Each comparison uses only the markers tested by both men. A Y67 result can be compared with a Y37 result at 37 markers, but the remaining 30 markers have no counterpart in that comparison.
Guthrie–McGibney · Two participants
A Closer Look Within Branch A
- Kit 59978: Y12
- Kit 1001502: Y37
These two kits match exactly on the 12 markers available for comparison. Their documented family connections provide the context for studying them together.
The immediate priority is more testing for kit 59978. An upgrade would show whether the match continues across the additional markers already tested by kit 1001502.
Guthrie–Japp · One participant
More Markers, Few Close Leads
- Kit 56631: Y67
This participant currently has no matches at the Y67 level. His useful surname leads appear at lower comparison levels, particularly among Benbow testers.
The other two Guthrie kits have not tested to 67 markers, so they cannot yet provide a full Y67 comparison with this participant.
| Kits compared | Shared test level | Genetic distance |
|---|---|---|
| 59978 & 1001502 | 12 markers | 0 · Exact match |
| 56631 & 59978 | 12 markers | 1 step |
| 56631 & 1001502 | 37 markers | 6 steps |
Reviewed 1 October 2026. Genetic distance records differences in the compared STR marker values. It is not a count of generations.
What Does the Six-Step Difference Tell Us?
Kits 56631 and 1001502 fall outside FamilyTreeDNA’s current Y37 matching threshold of four steps. Their similarity at 12 markers does not establish a close paternal relationship.
The differences leave open the possibility of a much older connection. They do not supply a reliable date or identify a shared ancestor. More detailed testing is needed before the relationship between these two families can be described with confidence.
What I-P37 tells us—and what still needs testing
I-P37 is a broad paternal haplogroup. The current project table shows this label in red for all three kits, indicating a prediction from their STR results. It does not identify a recent Guthrie ancestor or a particular Scottish or Irish home.
More specific SNP results can separate much younger branches. Big-Y testing could show where representatives of these families sit within that broader paternal tree. The most useful comparison would include a representative of each family.
A detailed haplogroup shown beside someone in a match list belongs to that match. It should not automatically be assigned to the Guthrie participant.
FTDNA: predicted and confirmed haplogroups · FTDNA: marker levels and matching limits
Where the Benbow Clue Fits
Benbow is the strongest recurring surname clue for the Guthrie–Japp line. Kit 56631’s supplied Y37 comparison list includes 15 Benbow entries, at genetic distances of two to four steps.
Benbow also appears among kit 59978’s broad Y12 matches. However, kit 1001502 has no Benbow matches in its supplied Y37 list. The Benbow connection therefore needs to be investigated separately for each family.
Read a match list at the right level
The “Markers Tested” column tells you how far the other person has tested. A Benbow match listed as Y67 or Big Y can still appear in a comparison made at only 37 markers.
It does not mean kit 56631 has a Y67 match or has taken Big Y. Check the selected comparison level before interpreting the genetic distance.
Origin Theories
These possibilities remain worth investigating. Family traditions and DNA clues can point toward records to search, even when the final connection is still out of reach.
Scotland & Ireland · A possible earlier connection
A Family on Both Sides of the Irish Sea?
Robert’s family is associated with County Down; William’s history points toward Perthshire. One theory considers whether an earlier Guthrie family divided between Scotland and Ireland.
The existing evidence does not identify that family or establish a particular migration, including a move during the Plantation of Ulster. A shared ancestor could also lie much farther back.
Help investigate: identify Robert’s and William’s parents, trace their relatives and neighbors, and look for a documented link between the two locations.
Guthrie & Benbow · The surname question
Where Might the Names Have Changed?
The recurring Benbow matches to the Guthrie–Japp tester raise the possibility of a surname change, adoption, or an undocumented parentage connection somewhere in that line’s history.
An older shared paternal origin is another possibility. The available matches do not establish which surname came first, when the lines separated, or whether this explanation applies to the Guthrie–McGibney family.
Help investigate: compare the earliest proven ancestors of the matched Benbow lines with William’s Scottish family, looking for shared places, households, and records.
Most Wanted Documents
- Robert and Jean in Ireland: original marriage and baptism entries, associated witnesses, and records identifying their parents or home townland.
- The relatives in Pennsylvania: family tradition says Robert’s family had relatives there before emigrating about 1800. Identify those households and their connection.
- William in Scotland: parish, family, educational, occupational, or emigration records that distinguish him from other men of the same name.
- A Guthrie–Benbow connection: a record placing the genetically relevant families together and explaining a relationship.
- Independent descendant lines: sourced father-to-son pedigrees through different sons of Robert and William, helping identify useful Y-DNA volunteers.
The family tradition linking Robert’s departure to the events of 1798 also deserves investigation. A service record, contemporary letter, or early family account could help explain that story.
Help the Research Move Forward
Help Build the Group
With only three Y-DNA participants, there is plenty of room for new discoveries. We welcome more descendants of both the Guthrie–McGibney and Guthrie–Japp families, including cousins whose branches have never been represented in the project.
Guthries in Scotland, Ireland, and other parts of the world may bring family histories and DNA comparisons that help us trace these lines farther back. If you know only part of your ancestry, share what you have established and the questions you are trying to answer.
Consider taking a Y-DNA test, helping a suitable male-line relative participate, sharing family records, or introducing another cousin to the research. Every new participant brings another opportunity to compare evidence and make a connection.
The Most Useful Next Tests
- Add independent family lines: male-line descendants through other sons of Robert or William could help establish each family’s pattern more securely.
- Expand the Y12 result: an upgrade for kit 59978 would allow a fuller comparison within the Guthrie–McGibney family.
- Develop a Big-Y comparison: a willing representative from each family could help distinguish recent branches from much older shared ancestry.
- Work with the Benbow matches: compare documented paternal lines and available higher-level results with the Guthrie–Japp tester.
Contact Ann to discuss the research question and your budget before ordering or upgrading. Big Y would be valuable for this comparison, but a first-time participant can begin with an appropriate Y-DNA test.
Choosing a DNA Test · Joining the Project · Group Funding & Sponsorship
William & Margaret’s Family
Follow the Guthrie–Japp family’s Scottish origins and Indiana history in the Family Focus collection.
Explore Family Focus →From a Family to a Place Name
Meet Judge John Guthrie and discover how the family’s surname became attached to Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Explore Claim to Fame: Places →
Hi Gail. I see you just submitted a join request for the Guthrie DNA Project. We’ll see what clues your results provide.