Guthrie Family Group 13 – Branch B
ROBERT GUTHRIE 1773NC-1856TN and JANE NORWOOD
of Abbeville, South Carolina and Giles, Tennessee, USA

CONTENTS:
Origin Theories
The Family of Robert Guthrie & Jane Norwood
Historical Highlights
The Guthrie DNA Project

ORIGIN THEORIES FOR GFG13 – BRANCH B

According to the 1850 census, Robert Guthrie was born in North Carolina. His parents remain unidentified. There is no historical data linking him to any set of parents. Some online trees list him as a son of Thomas Guthrie 1732SCT-1797SC & Jean Duncan, but that family is of different genetic stock and is unrelated to Robert’s line of Guthrie men. That couple’s children are also well documented and there is no son named Robert among them. The likely reason for this error is the connection of both Robert and Thomas to Abbeville County, South Carolina.

Robert Guthrie reportedly lived in Abbeville County, South Carolina prior to his move to Giles County, Tennessee. The US Census for South Carolina shows a Robert Guthrie household in Abbeville for the years 1790 and 1800. In 1790, Robert would only be 17 years old by our current understanding of his DOB. Young to be a Head of Household. This could be a vital clue to his heritage. Perhaps his father’s name was also Robert Guthrie. There are 3 Males 16 and over, and 4 females in the household. Or, Robert could be the eldest son of the family and is listed as the HOH if his father was deceased.

Another important piece of information to discuss about this family is the identity of Robert’s wife. The 1850 census tells us that his wife was named Jane. Based on the will of Capt. John Norwood which identifies one of his daughters as ‘Jean Guthrie’, descendants of Robert’s line believe that his wife was of Norwood ancestry. They also have correspondence between the Guthrie and Norwood families of Giles County, TN, which would appear to strengthen their claim to the Norwood connection.

This is another example of a crossover event with a member of GFG9, Thomas & Jean (Duncan) Guthrie’s son, John Guthrie whose wife is listed as Jean Norwood. They also claim the will of Capt. John Norwood as their source of a connection since he does not identify the given name of his Guthrie son-in-law. There is also the possibility that both men married Norwood women as they happened to be living in the same town.

One point of clarity needs to be made. Robert’s wife is simply named Jane per the census records, and only ” x Norwood” by the Family Bible Record, and not Mary Jane. The perpetrator of this misinformation discovered her error after examining original notes, but by that time the name had already been copied across many trees. The original data referenced Jane without any indication of her name being Mary Jane.

THE FAMILY of ROBERT GUTHRIE & JANE NORWOOD

ROBERT GUTHRIE
Born: 10 August 1773
Location: North Carolina Colony
Married: Jane Norwood in January 1798 in Abbeville, South Carolina
Occupation: Farmer
Died: 22 February 1856
Location: Giles County, Tennessee, USA
Buried: Hopewell Cemetery, Giles County, Tennessee, USA

JANE NORWOOD
Born: 1779
Location: Abbeville, South Carolina, USA, presumably
Sons: John Guthrie (1794), Francis Guthrie (1795), Samuel Guthrie (1801), Robert Guthrie (1802), Theophilus Guthrie (1804), Andrew Guthrie (1813)
Daughters: Cynthia Amanda Guthrie (1806), Jane Caroline Guthrie (1816)
Died: 6 May 1865
Location: Giles County, Tennessee, USA
Buried: Hopewell Cemetery, Giles County, Tennessee, USA

CHILDREN:

JOHN GUTHRIE
1794SC-1843KY

John Guthrie’s birth was about 1794, presumably in South Carolina where his parents were living. He married Jane Alexander about 1818. The family were in Giles, TN by that time. They settled in Graves County, Kentucky. John and Jane’s DOD are given as 1843.

Children: 10
Sons: Green Giles Guthrie (1819), Robert Guthrie (1823), William Jasper Guthrie (1825), John H Guthrie (1828), Andrew Guthrie (1835), Nathaniel Guthrie (1838), James Guthrie (1843)
Daughters: Rosanna Guthrie (1831), Narcissa Guthrie (1833), Jane Guthrie (1833)

Y-DNA Project Participants: No
Family Finder Participants: No

FRANCIS GUTHRIE
1795TN-1828TN

Francis was born between 1795-1801, based on the 1820 census estimate. He married Mary Davis Kirk in Tennessee on 14 October 1811. They had 2 daughters. Francis died in 1828.

Children: 2
Sons: None
Daughters: Mary Ann Guthrie (1822), Sarah Jane Guthrie (1826)

Y-DNA Project Participants: N/A
Family Finder Participants: No

SAMUEL GUTHRIE
1801TN-1846MS

Samuel Guthrie was born in 1801 or 1802 in Tennessee. He moved to Mississippi and married Mary E (MNU), or that could have been in the reverse order. They settled in Yazoo and had 2 children before Samuel’s death in 1846/7. The details are limited. He died before his father in 1856. His widow Mary married B. Hugh Brooks on 10 Feb 1848. He died in 1860. Mary may have married again on 1 May 1866 to a Samuel Johnson.

Children: 2
Sons: Andrew Guthrie (1843)
Daughers: Eliza Guthrie (1847)

Y-DNA Project Participants: No
Family Finder Participants: Yes

ROBERT GUTHRIE
1802TN-1850TN

Robert Guthrie was born about 1802 in Tennessee and lived in Giles County. His marriage to Ann ‘Morning Glory’ Beal, the mother of his children ended in separation before 1840. They had 6 children born between 1824 – 1832. In 1837, Ann Guthry was put out of the church because she was “living with a man who was not her husband in an unscriptural way.” (Robertson Fork Church of Christ Meeting Minutes). The older 5 children were bound out through the court. The youngest, Robert Landon Guthrie, was given away to the William Newland family when he was 7 years old. Court records indicate that Robert Guthrie lived in Wayne County, Tennessee, but it is believed that he died in Arkansas before 1850. Ann (Beal) Guthrie died in 1895.

Children: 6
Sons: Grandison Graves Guthrie (1824), Thomas Smith Guthrie (1832), Robert Landon Guthrie (1832)
Daughters: Lydia Marie Guthrie (1826), Nancy Amanda Guthrie (1827), Courtney Jane Guthrie (1829)

Y-DNA Project Participants: Yes
Family Finder Participants: No

THEOPHILUS GUTHRIE
1804TN-Unknown

Theophilus Guthrie was born in Tennessee about 1804. He married Sarah Thornbush. According to a family court case filed after Robert Guthrie’s death, Theophilus was already dead prior to his father. His DOD would be between 1840 – 1856. He and Sarah had 6 children, only 3 of who are known.

Children: 6
Unidentified: Child 1, Child 2, Child 3
Sons: Leonidas Guthrie (1831), Samuel Guthrie (1834)
Daughters: Elizabeth June Guthrie (1833)

Y-DNA Project Participants: No
Family Finder Participants: No

CYNTHIA AMANDA GUTHRIE
1806TN-1890TN

Cynthia Amanda Guthrie was born on 2 July 1806 in Giles County, TN. She married farmer Zopher Smith Compton about 1824.

Children: 6
Sons: William Compton (1830), Andrew G Compton (1834)
Daughters: Sarah Jane Compton (1828), Mary C Compton (1832), Lettice E Compton (1837), Cynthia A Compton (1839)

Family Finder Participants: No

ANDREW GUTHRIE
1813TN-1856TN

Andrew Guthrie was born about 1813. He married Mary Ann Taylor in Madison County, TN in 1843. They had 2 known children. Andrew died on 25 Feb 1856 in Jackson, Madison County, TN. HIs widow died in 1902.

Children: 2
Sons: William Henry Guthrie (18??)
Daughters: Fannie Medora Guthrie (1845)

Family Finder Participants: No

JANE CAROLINE GUTHRIE
1816TN-1880TN

Jane Caroline Guthrie was born about 1816. Jane never married. Court records indicate that she was ‘crippled’, although it is unknown if this was a congenital condition or related to an accident. The 1880 census also indicates a ‘disabled’ status. She died sometime after 1880.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

1773: BIRTH of ROBERT GUTHRIE
North Carolina, USA on 10 August 1773

The NC location is revealed in the 1850 census. No other specifics known. There are no specifics in the family history to link him to any of the known Guthrie Family Groups or Ungrouped Guthrie Families in that area.

1779: BIRTH of JANE NORWOOD
Ninety-Six District, South Carolina, USA, presumably

The 1850 census lists Robert’s wife as “Jane”.
A grandson’s Family Bible Record lists her as “x Norwood”

If Robert Guthrie’s wife is indeed a Norwood, and that family had already established itself in South Carolina by 1779, then Jane may have been born in the Ninety-Six District, which was the parent county to Abbeville prior to its formation in 1785.

The 1850 census lists Jane as being 71 years of age, which would indicate her DOB was in 1779, which I think is an underestimation of her age because it would make her extremely young at the births of her first two children.
The 1800 census lists Robert’s wife as 16-25 years old (1775-1784).
In 1820, she is listed as 26-44 (1776-1794).
In 1830, she is listed as 50-59 (1771-1780).
In 1840, she is listed as 60-69 (1771-1780).
If you ignore the 1850 census and filter the others, Janes was most likely born between 1776-1780. The 1779 date is still within that estimated range, but I think it’s probably at the earlier end.

1785: FORMATION of ABBEVILLE DISTRICT, SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina on 12 March 1785

From 1800-1868 Abbeville County was also known by the alias Abbeville District. The 1868 Constitution changed all districts to counties.

“From its founding in 1785, Abbeville prospered as an up-country region. The arrival of cotton in the early 1800s established the whole county as an agricultural center. Although not officially incorporated until 1832, the town of Abbeville became one of three places in South Carolina to have an arsenal and magazine in 1792 and a Post Office was established in 1795.”
(History of Abbeville County)

1790: US CENSUS of SOUTH CAROLINA
Abbeville District, South Carolina, USA

ROBERT GUTTERY HOUSEHOLD
3 Males 16 and over
4 Females
Total Household Members: 7 Free White Persons

We don’t know if this Robert Guthrie is the same person listed as a HOH in the 1790 census. This Robert would only be about 17 years of age in 1790. Was his father’s name also Robert? Was he one of the other males in the household? Was he the HOH with a widowed mother and younger siblings?
Also possible this record is not associated with this GFG at all. Could be the family of Robert Guthrie of SC & GA from GFG2A-BranchK.

The only other Guthrie household listed in Abbeville District, South Carolina is that of Thomas Guttery: 2Males 16 and over, 2 Females. This record is attributed to GFG9’s Thomas Guthrie and Jean Duncan.

The 1790 census lists several NORWOOD households, several of which are in Abbeville District:
Elezth Norwood: 1Female, 3 Males16 and over, 1Male under 16
Capt. Jno. Norwood: 2Males16 and over, 5Males under 16, 2Females
Thomas Norwood: 1Male16and over, 1 Female

1798: MARRIAGE of ROBERT GUTHRIE & JANE NORWOOD
South Carolina, USA about Jan 1798, presumably in Abbeville District

I have found no marriage record listed for this couple. The year appears to originate from the date that John Norwood of Abbeville County, SC wrote his last will and testament, which was 22 January 1798. His will mentions his daughter “Jean Gutherie”.

1794: BIRTH of SON – JOHN GUTHRIE
South Carolina, USA about 1794, presumably in Abbeville District

Note that at this approximate DOB, his mother Jane would only be 15 years old. Even with this DOB, he does not appear to be either of the John Guthrie men named as HOH in Abbeville in 1820 who were both 45 and over. The one census record that I find attributed to John Guthrie is in 1830 Graves County, KY where he is listed as 30-39 (born 1791-1800). Unfortunately, as I cannot find him in the 1840 census, there is no further data to narrow down his actual DOB if it is indeed any different than 1794.

1795: BIRTH of SON – FRANCIS GUTHRIE
South Carolina or Tennessee, USA between 1795-1801

This is another situation where trees have listed a DOB without any source data. One listed 1793, which would make his mother only 14. Even in the 1790s that would be considered underage for marriage, especially as Francis is not the eldest son. According to the only census record we possess for him, in 1820 Giles County, TN, Francis was 16-25 years old.

1796: TENNESSEE STATEHOOD

“The state of Tennessee is rooted in the Watauga Association, a 1772 frontier pact generally regarded as the first constitutional government west of the Appalachians. What is now Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina, and later part of the Southwest Territory. Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796. Tennessee was the last state to leave the Union and join the Confederacy at the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. Occupied by Union forces from 1862, it was the first state to be readmitted to the Union at the end of the war.” (Wikipedia)

1799: FORMATION of WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE
Davidson County, Tennessee, USA on 26 October 1799

The Tennessee General Assembly created Williamson County from a portion of Davidson County.

1800: US CENSUS of SOUTH CAROLINA
Abbeville District, South Carolina, USA

ROBERT GUTHRIE HOUSEHOLD
1M 26-44 (1756-1774)
1F 16-25 (1775-1784)
1M under 10 (1791-1800)
1F under 10 (1791-1800)
Total Household Members: 4

Note that this record does not fit the family profile based on the children’s dates of birth. By 1800, there should be 2 sons in the household, and no known daughters. However, if the DOB are off, this could be eldest son John, and an unknown daughter who later died young.

1801: BIRTH of SON – SAMUEL GUTHRIE
Tennessee, USA, presumably about 1801-1802

1802: BIRTH of SON – ROBERT GUTHRIE JR.
Tennessee, USA, presumably about 1801-1810

1804: BIRTH of SON – THEOPHILUS GUTHRIE
Tennessee, USA, presumably about 1801-1810

1806: BIRTH of DAUGHTER – CYNTHIA AMANDA GUTHRIE
Tennessee, USA presumably, on 2 July 1806

One census record indicates her birthplace was TN and two others KY.

1807: FORMATION of MAURY COUNTY, TENNESSEE
Williamson County, Tennessee

Maury County, Tennessee was formed from Williamson County and Indian lands.

1809: FORMATION of GILES COUNTY, TENNESSEE
Maury County, Tennessee, USA on 14 November 1809

Two years after the formation of Maury County, Giles County was created from southern Maury County on 14 November 1809.

1810: CENSUS of TENNESSEE

Tennessee became a state in 1796. The territorial census schedules and the 1800 census were lost or destroyed. The 1810 census of Tennessee was also lost, except for Grainger and Rutherford counties, which have been indexed.

1811: MARRIAGE of SON – FRANCIS GUTHRIE
Tennessee, USA, possibly in Giles County on 14 October 1811

We have an exact DOM for Francis Guthrie and his bride Mary Davis Kirk, but I have not found a source. This couple had 2 daughters: Mary Ann (1822) and Sarah Jane (1826). There is an 11 year gap between their DOM and the birth of their first known child, but a look at the 1820 census does show their household without any young children. Francis died in 1828 in Giles County, Tennessee.

1812: EARLY TENNESSEE TAX LIST RECORDS
Giles County, Tennessee, USA

764: Robert Guthrie

1813: BIRTH of SON – ANDREW GUTHRIE
Tennessee, USA, presumably Giles County about 1813

Andrew’s grave marker lists him as 44 years of age in 1856 making his estimated DOB 1812-1813.

1816: BIRTH of DAUGHTER – JANE CAROLINE GUTHRIE
Tennessee, USA, presumably Giles County about 1816

About 1818: MARRIAGE of SON – JOHN GUTHRIE
Tennessee or Kentucky, USA, presumably

John Guthrie married Jane Alexander. Their eldest child was born in January of 1819, so their marriage would likely have occurred about 1818. This couple was either already in Kentucky at their son’s birth or settled there quickly afterward. John and Jane (Alexander) Guthrie were parents to 7 sons and 3 daughters. John’s death is listed as 1843 in Graves County, Kentucky, but I have found no records. The lawsuit Compton vs Guthrie filed after Jane (Norwood) Guthrie’s death mentions that John Guthrie and family had been living in Mayfield, Graves, Kentucky.

1820: US CENSUS of TENNESSEE
Pulaski, Giles County, Tennessee, USA on 7 August 1820

The ROBERT GUTHRIE HOUSEHOLD:
1 – Male – 45 and over (Born before 1776)
1 – Female – 26-44 (1776-1794)
1 – Male – 16-25 [(1M 16-18) 1802-1804]
1 – Male – 10-15 (1805-1810)
1 – Female – 10-15 (1805-1810)
1 – Male – under 10 (1811-1820)
1 – Female – under 10 (1811-1820)
Persons Engaged in Agriculture: 2
Total Household Members: 7 Free White Persons

THE FRANCIS GUTHRIE HOUSEHOLD:
2 – Males – 16-25 (1795-1804) [1 of them 16-18 born 1802-1804]
1 – Female 16-25 (1795-1804)
1 – Female Slave – 14-25 (1795-1806)
Engaged in Manufactures: 2
Total Household Members: 3 Free White Persons, 1 Slave

About 1823: MARRIAGE of SON – ROBERT GUTHRIE JR
Giles County, Tennessee, USA, presumably

Robert Guthrie and Ann ‘Morning Glory’ Beal were married around 1823. They had 6 children: Grandson Graves (1824), Lydia Marie (1826), Nancy Amanda (1827), Courtney Jane (1829), Thomas Smith (1832), and Robert Landon (1832). The marriage ended in separation/divorce before 1840. The youngest son, Robert, told his children and grandchildren that he had been given away to the Newland family. The other children were also separated by the courts and bound out to others. The 1840 census lists Robert Guthry as living on his own in Giles County, TN, but sometime in the next decade he moved to Wayne County, TN where he reportedly died before 1850.

About 1824: MARRIAGE of DAUGHTER – CYNTHIA AMANDA GUTHRIE
Tennessee, USA, presumably Giles County

Cynthia married Zopher Smith Compton. They remained in Giles County during their lifetimes and raised 6 children: Sarah Jane (1828), William (1830), Mary C (1832), Andrew G (1834), Lettice E (1837, and Cynthia A (1839). Zopher and Cynthia brought suit against Jane C Guthrie and other heirs after the death of Jane (Norwood) Guthrie over the division of the estate. Some heirs had not been located and legal notices were made. Zopher died in 1879 and Cynthia in 1890.

1824: CHAIN CARRIER (LAND SURVEYS)
Giles County, Tennessee, USA on 7 September 1824

7 Sep 1824 Giles Co, TN Survey (dated) 59 – Entry 57 for Nancy BEALE, 45 A on waters of Robertson Fork of Richland Creek; adj. George DOTSON tract on which he now lives; 3000 A tract granted to Thomas POLK; Andrew KEITH. Surv. 7 Sep 1824. Basil COMPTON & Robert GUTHRIE, C.C.

1824: CHAIN CARRIER (LAND SURVEYS)
Giles County, Tennessee, USA on 8 September 1824

8 Sep 1824 Giles Survey. 57 – Entry 83 for Pressley BEALE, 50 A on waters of Blue Creek; adj. George DOTSON; Goodhope THARP; James LEITCH; S boundary line of Martin ARMSTRONG; 5000 A tract. Surv. Basil COMPTON & Robert GUTHRIE, C.C.

About 1830: MARRIAGE of THEOPHILUS GUTHRIE
Tennessee, USA

Theophilus Guthrie married Sarah Thornbush whom descendant believe was of Native American Cherokee descent. They settled in Henderson County, Tennessee where they were enumerated in the 1840 census. They reportedly had 6 children, but only 3 are known to us: Leonidas (1831), Elizabeth June (1833), and Samuel (1834). Theophilus Guthrie died before his father’s, which occurred in 1856. All three of the children were living in different households in 1850 Henderson County, suggesting that their father’s death occurred 1840-1850.

1830: US CENSUS of TENNESSEE
Giles County, Tennessee, USA

THE ROBERT GUTHRIE SENIOR HOUSEHOLD:
1 – Male – 50-59 (1771-1780)
1 – Female – 50-59 (1771-1780)
1 – Female – 10-14 (1816-1820)
Total Household Members: 3 Free White Persons

THE ROBERT GUTHRIE JUNIOR HOUSEHOLD:
2 – Males – 20-29 (1801-1810)
1 – Female – 20-29 (1801-1810)
1 – Male – 5-9 (1820-1830)
1 – Female – 5-9 (1820-1830)
2 – Females – under 5 (1826-1830)

1836: TENNESSEE EARLY TAX LIST RECORDS
District 16, Giles County, Tennessee, USA

ROBT. GUTHRIE
Land: 640
Value: 1920
Tax: 1.92
White Polls: 1
Tax: 25
State Tax: 12-1/2 (?)
County Tax: 25

1840: US CENSUS of TENNESSEE
Giles County, Tennessee, USA

THE ROBT. GUTHRY HOUSEHOLD:
1 – Male – 60-69 (1771-1780)
1 – Female – 60-69 (1771-1780)
1 – Female – 20-29 (1811-1820)
1 – Male – 5-9 (1831-1835)
Total Household Members: 4 Free White Persons

THE ROBT. GUTHRY HOUSEHOLD:
1 – Male – 30-39 (1801-1810)
Persons Employed in Manufacture and Trade

About 1843: MARRIAGE of SON – SAMUEL GUTHRIE
Tennessee or Mississippi, presumably

Samuel Guthrie moved to Yazoo City, Yazoo, Mississippi, but we don’t know if this was before or after his marriage to Mary E (MNU). They had a son, Andrew (1843) and daughter, Eliza (1847). Samuel died 1846-47. Letters of administration were granted to Benjamin Lewis on the estate of Samuel A Guthrie (Probate Minute Book C: 194 – May Term 1843). Guardianship of Andrew Guthrie and Eliza Guthrie, minor heirs of Samuel A Guthrie, was granted to Mary E Guthrie. (Probate Minute Book D: 102 – October Term 1846)

Mary remarried to B. Hugh Brooks on 10 Feb 1848. (Marriage Book A: 124.) He died in 1860, and Mary may have married again to a Samuel Johnson on 1 May 1866.

About 1843: MARRIAGE OF SON – ANDREW GUTHRIE
Tennessee, USA, presumably in Giles or Madison County

Andrew Guthrie married Mary Ann Taylor. They settled in Madison County, Tennessee were they were listed in the 1850 census. They had a daughter, Fannie Medora (1845), and a son, William Henry (18??). Their son was probably born 1851-1856 after the census, and died in childhood. Andrew died on 25 February 1856 in Madison County, Tennessee at 44 years of age.

1850: US CENSUS of TENNESSEE
Giles County, Tennessee, USA

THE GUTHRIE HOUSEHOLD:
Robt Gutherie 77 farmer 750 NC
Jane Gutherie 71 SC
Jane C Gutherie 33 TN

The 1850 census causes some confusion for researchers because by this date another unrelated Guthrie Family Group has settled in Giles County, Tennessee. Samuel & Adeline (Cashion) Guthrie belong to GFG2A-Branch B. That Samuel Guthrie is not Samuel, son of Robert & Jane (Norwood) Guthrie.

1856: DEATH of ROBERT GUTHRIE SR
Giles County, Tennessee, USA o 22 February 1856

All of Robert’s sons predeceased him. Robert is buried in Hopewell Cemetery in Giles County, TN.

1865: DEATH of WIFE – JANE (NORWOOD) GUTHRIE
Giles County, Tennessee, USA on 6 May 1865

THE GUTHRIE DNA PROJECT

Guthrie Family Group: GFG13
Group Designation: Branch B – (The Guthries of Giles County, Tennessee)

Haplogroup: I-M223
Confirmed Haplogroup: I-M223

YDNA Matches:  1
Kit 128463
Robert Guthrie/Jane Norwood > No Further Lineage Info Provided

Family Finder / Autosomal DNA Kits:  2
Kit 128510 
Robert Guthrie/Jane Norwood > Francis Guthrie/Mary Davis Kirk > Sarah Jane Guthrie/William Larkin Cardin > Sarah Ann Cardin/Zachary Taylor Dyer > Mary Frances Dyer/Robert Leslie Owen (GGP)

Kit B497992
Robert Guthrie/Jane Norwood > Cynthia Amanda Guthrie/Zopher Smith Compton > Elihu Smith Compton/Myra Ann Rust > William Lee Compton/Sarah Finetta Trice > Doyle Arlen Compton/Mabel Jean Douglas (GGP)

Findings:

Kit 128463 is a Y-67 marker test matching Group Mode DNA (the most common variable at any given genetic marker) 66/67.

He has 1 variance that he shares with Kit 515716 of GFG13-Branch C. Since Branch C is also of SC origins and of a later generation, it is possible that Branch descends from Branch B.

DYS458 = 16 versus 17.

Both Autosomal DNA kits include matches to people of Norwood ancestry.

Special Thanks to Betty McCollum
for her research contributions on the family of
Robert Guthrie & Jane Norwood.