1A-D: John S Guthrie
Guthrie Family Group 1A · Branch D · The Next Generation
John S. Guthrie & Euphemia Jones
Snow Hill · Worcester County · Maryland
John S. Guthrie, son of John Guthrie and Betsy Nelson, learned boot and shoemaking through an apprenticeship arranged by his father in 1836. He and Euphemia Jones raised their family in Snow Hill, where his trade became a lasting part of their story. Follow their children and descendants through census households, family records, and the Guthrie DNA Project.
View John in the Guthrie Research Tree →The Family
John S. Guthrie
- Parents
- John Guthrie & Betsy Nelson
- Birth
- 12 May 1819 · Maryland
- Death
- 15 October 1893 · Snow Hill, Worcester County, Maryland
- Occupation
- Boot and shoemaker; apprenticed to James S. Nelson
Euphemia Jones
- Family
- Daughter of Walter “Walty” Jones; named Uphemy Guthry in his will
- Birth
- Maryland · About 1824 in the Guthrie Research Tree; census ages vary
- Death
- Date unknown; living in 1880
- Household Role
- Keeping house in Snow Hill
Married 19 January 1841 · Worcester County, Maryland
John and Euphemia made their home in Snow Hill, where John earned his living making boots and shoes. His apprenticeship began before their marriage, and his trade continued through the decades in which they raised their family.
Their five children connect this household with the Ennis, Truitt, Broughton, Layfield, and Dryden families. Some remained on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, while others established homes in Baltimore or across the state line on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
Sources include John’s 1836 apprenticeship indenture, the 1841 marriage index, Walty Jones’s will, federal censuses, family notices, and the Guthrie Research Tree. Date distinctions and source details appear below and in Explore the Records.
Explore the Next Generation
Select a child’s name to explore their story and family below.
| Child | Life Dates | Marriage & Later Life |
|---|---|---|
| Martha Emma Guthrie |
1842–1913 Dates recorded in the Research Tree |
Married Charles Edward Ennis on 8 January 1868. Their family lived in Worcester County; six children are listed in the Research Tree. |
| Nelson Gray Guthrie |
About 1849–1850 29 November 1901 |
Married Josephine Truitt on 23 March 1871. Worked as a shoemaker and later a carpenter and contractor; moved to Baltimore. Three children are identified. |
| John James Guthrie |
About 1852–1853 15 February 1916 |
Married Annie Elizabeth Broughton on 30 June 1875. Lived in Snow Hill, Onancock, and Baltimore; worked as a carpenter and later a produce broker. Ten children are listed in the Research Tree. |
| May T. Guthrie |
About 1854 Living in 1880 |
Married Isaac Henry Layfield on 28 May 1873. Their children were Charles Henry and Winona Layfield. |
| Annie V. Guthrie |
18 February 1857 25 May 1925 |
Married William James Dryden, a railroad section foreman. Lived at Eastville, Virginia. Her obituary names an adopted daughter, Anna M. Taylor. |
Family Evidence Notes Open for the records behind the dates, names, and family connections.
John’s birth and parents. The indenture dated 25 February 1836 names John Guthery as the apprentice’s father and states that the younger John would turn seventeen on the next 12 May, with his term ending on 12 May 1840 at twenty-one. This supports 12 May 1819. Betsy Nelson’s maternity is inferred from the chronology of the elder John’s marriages and the 1830 household; she is not named in the indenture. The document was recorded on 8 March 1836, pages 440–441.
John’s death. The notice in the Delaware Gazette and State Journal, 26 October 1893, reports his death at Snow Hill on 15 October, aged seventy-four. His middle initial is retained without expansion.
Euphemia’s name and family. The marriage index records John Guthrey and Fanny Jones on 19 January 1841. Euphemia also appears under variant names in the census records. Walty Jones’s will names his daughter Uphemy Guthry. The Research Tree identifies her mother as Martha Truitt; the will does not name the daughters’ mothers.
Euphemia’s birth and later life. About 1824 is the Research Tree’s date and agrees with her reported age of fifty-six in 1880. Earlier census ages differ substantially, so this remains an approximate date. She was living with John and their daughter Annie in Snow Hill in 1880; no exact death date has been established.
Martha and Nelson. Martha’s Research Tree dates are 23 February 1842–2 February 1913; her early census ages differ from that birth date. The tree includes Florence E. Ennis among six children. Nelson’s infancy in the 1850 household supports a birth around 1849–1850. His November 1901 death notices establish 29 November 1901, although their reported ages differ.
John James’s dates and children. The Research Tree gives 23 August 1853, with 1852 as an alternative. The overview retains the approximate range. Ten children are named in the tree: one son and nine daughters. Their individual records belong with the detailed account of John James and Annie Elizabeth’s family.
May and Nancy. May appears in the 1860 household, while Nancy, aged fourteen, appears in 1870. The Research Tree suggests that they could be the same daughter. That identification remains a question rather than an established alternative name. May’s death is recorded as after 1880, not in 1880.
Annie’s marriage and adopted daughter. Annie’s death certificate, gravestone, and obituary establish her dates and her marriage to W. J. Dryden. Railroad relief records, certificate 473, identify him fully as William James Dryden, a section foreman, and name Annie as his wife. Her obituary identifies her parents as John and Euphemia Gutherie and names her surviving adopted daughter as Anna M. Taylor. It does not establish Taylor as Anna’s birth surname.
William survived Annie. Although Annie’s obituary calls her a widow, William’s later records establish that he outlived her. He married Lucretia Anne Willis on 9 April 1928 in Northampton County, Virginia. His death certificate and railroad records give 16 February 1940. The James F. Dryden household associated with Annie Virginia Dize belongs to a different couple.
Annie: Virginia death certificate 11994, 25 May 1925; gravestone at Whatcoat United Methodist Cemetery, Snow Hill; Worcester Democrat and the Ledger-Enterprise, 30 May 1925, p. 1. William: railroad relief cards, certificate 473; Northampton County marriage register, 9 April 1928; Virginia death certificate 5070, 16 February 1940.
Children & Descendant Families
1. Martha Emma Guthrie & Charles Edward Ennis
Martha: 1842–1913 · Charles: 1843–1923
Life dates recorded in the Guthrie Research Tree
Martha Emma, the eldest daughter of John S. Guthrie and Euphemia Jones, married Charles Edward Ennis on 8 January 1868 in Worcester County, Maryland. Charles followed the same trade as Martha’s father, making boots and shoes.
The family’s recorded homes trace a path within Worcester County: Snow Hill in 1870, Stockton in 1880, Pocomoke in 1900, and Coston in 1910. These census references follow Martha from her early married life into her later years.
The Guthrie Research Tree identifies six children—two sons and four daughters. Florence, the eldest, is recorded as dying in infancy.
| Child | Recorded Life Dates |
|---|---|
| Florence E. Ennis | 1868–1869 |
| Mary Virginia Ennis | 1870–1930 |
| John Wesley Ennis | 1872–1930 |
| Charles Edward Ennis Jr. | 1874–1933 |
| Annie Kate Ennis | 1877–1946 |
| Winnie W. Ennis | 1883–1964 |
The names and life dates above follow the Guthrie Research Tree. The evidence notes distinguish these family entries from the relationships stated in a contemporary newspaper notice.
Connections with Martha’s Guthrie family continued into the next generation. When her sister Annie V. Guthrie Dryden died in 1925, the obituary described Annie as a sister of the late Mrs. C. E. Ennis. It named John W. Ennis and Charles E. Ennis as nephews; both also served as pallbearers at their aunt’s funeral.
Ennis Family Evidence Open for the dates, census trail, and family relationships named in the records.
Martha’s dates. The Guthrie Research Tree gives her birth as 23 February 1842 in Worcester County and her death as 2 February 1913, with burial at Snow Hill. Her early census ages differ from that birth date: she appears as five in the 1850 household index and sixteen in 1860. The precise birth date therefore remains attributed to the tree.
Place of death. The tree records South Carolina as Martha’s death location. A supporting death or funeral notice is needed to establish that location independently. Her presence in the 1910 census and the reference to the late Mrs. C. E. Ennis in her sister’s 1925 obituary provide separate evidence for the chronology of her later life.
Marriage and residences. The Research Tree records the marriage to Charles on 8 January 1868 and attaches census sources for 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910. Its residence entries identify Snow Hill, Stockton, Pocomoke, and Coston, respectively. Charles’s 1843–1923 dates also follow the tree.
The six children. The tree’s household includes Florence E., Mary Virginia, John Wesley, Charles Edward Jr., Annie Kate, and Winnie W. Ennis. The 1925 obituary independently names John W. and Charles E. Ennis as Annie Dryden’s nephews. That funeral notice is not a complete enumeration of Martha’s children.
The Townsend reference. Annie’s obituary also names a niece, Mrs. Cleveland Townsend, without supplying her given name. A record giving her own name and parents would establish which niece was intended.
Sources: Guthrie Research Tree, Martha Emma Guthrie family profile and attached census references; Worcester Democrat and the Ledger-Enterprise, 30 May 1925, p. 1, “Mrs. Annie V. Dryden Dies at Eastville.”
DNA & This Descendant Line How descendants of Martha can contribute to the family research.
No autosomal DNA participant is documented for Martha’s line in the project material reviewed here. Descendants through any of her children may contribute family records and autosomal comparisons.
John S. Guthrie’s Y-DNA could not pass through his daughter Martha. A male-line Ennis test would investigate Charles Ennis’s paternal ancestry. The Guthrie paternal comparisons for Martha’s father and brothers appear in Explore the Records.
2. Nelson Gray Guthrie & Josephine Truitt
Born about 1849–1850 · Died 29 November 1901
Married 23 March 1871 · Worcester County, Maryland
Nelson Gray Guthrie grew up in Snow Hill in the household of John S. Guthrie and Euphemia Jones. Like his father, he learned to make boots and shoes. He appears with his parents in the 1850, 1860, and 1870 census records before establishing his own household.
He married Josephine Truitt on 23 March 1871. His obituary identifies her as a daughter of Capt. Peter Truitt of Worcester County. The family remained in Snow Hill in 1880 and later moved to Baltimore, where Nelson worked as a carpenter. By his death, the newspaper described him as a contractor.
Three children are identified in the Guthrie Research Tree: two sons and one daughter.
| Child | Life & Family |
|---|---|
| Nelson Rawlins Guthrie | Born about 1872 in the Research Tree. Named as N. Rawlins Guthrie, Nelson’s surviving son, in the 1901 obituary. |
| Maud Guthrie | Born about 1876 in the Research Tree. Named as Miss Maude E. Guthrie, Nelson’s surviving daughter, in the 1901 obituary. |
| John Guthrie | Born about 1879 in the Research Tree. His later life has not been established from the records reviewed here. |
Nelson died at his Baltimore home on 29 November 1901 after a prolonged illness. Josephine, N. Rawlins, and Maude E. were named as survivors. Following a service at the house, his body was taken to Light Street wharf and sent to Snow Hill for burial.
The funeral brought his story back to the Eastern Shore community where he had been born and raised. The newspaper announced interment for Sunday, 1 December 1901.
Family Evidence & the 1901 Notices Open for Nelson’s death date, family relationships, and the limits of the surviving notices.
Birth and age. Nelson’s infancy in the 1850 household and the later census entries support a birth around 1849–1850. The death notice reports his age as fifty-two, while the obituary says fifty-three. Those reported ages are retained as differences in the sources rather than used to assign an exact birth date.
Marriage and Josephine’s family. The Research Tree records 23 March 1871 as their marriage date and gives Josephine’s birth year as about 1855. The obituary independently names her father as Capt. Peter Truitt. A further relationship between Josephine’s Truitt family and Euphemia Jones’s maternal family is not established by the shared surname alone.
Work and residences. The 1870 household account identifies Nelson as a boot and shoemaker. The Research Tree places his married household in Snow Hill in 1880 and includes Baltimore residence and directory references for the 1890s. The family account describes his later carpentry work; the 1901 obituary calls him a contractor. The precise date of the move to Baltimore remains unestablished.
The exact death date. The Sun death notice dated Friday, 29 November 1901, reports that Nelson Gray Guthrie died at 12:45 that Friday morning. The obituary published the following day says that he died early the previous morning. Together, the notices establish 29 November 1901.
Funeral and burial. The obituary reports a service at his home conducted by Rev. J. Milton Wilbur, assistant pastor of Eutaw Place Baptist Church. His body was then conveyed to Light Street wharf for shipment to Snow Hill. Both notices announce Sunday interment, corresponding to 1 December. This is the announced burial date; the notices do not name a cemetery.
Children and survivors. The obituary names one surviving son, N. Rawlins Guthrie, and one surviving daughter, Miss Maude E. Guthrie. The Research Tree also includes John, born about 1879. His absence from the obituary does not, by itself, establish a death date or explain what became of him. No middle name is supplied for Maude’s initial E.
Sources: Guthrie Research Tree, Nelson Gray Guthrie family profile and census and directory references; Sun (Baltimore), 29 November 1901, p. 1, death notice; The Baltimore Sun, 30 November 1901, p. 7, “Nelson G. Guthrie.”
The Guthrie DNA Project
No participant is documented for Nelson’s descendant lines in the project material reviewed here. The table includes each child so that future contributions can be placed in the correct family.
| Child | Y-DNA | Big-Y | Autosomal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson Rawlins | — | — | — |
| Maud | N/A | N/A | — |
| John | — | — | — |
— = no participant documented here. N/A = Nelson’s Y-DNA cannot pass through a daughter. An empty entry does not establish that a child had no descendants or that no descendants have tested elsewhere.
How This Line Could Add to the Research Records, descendant tracing, and an independent paternal comparison.
A documented father-to-son descendant through either of Nelson’s sons could provide a useful comparison with the tested line through his brother John James Guthrie. Surviving eligible lines would first need to be traced and documented; the table does not assume that such descendants have already been identified.
Descendants through Maud or either son can contribute records and autosomal comparisons. A marriage record, obituary, cemetery record, or family paper naming the children’s later relatives would help extend these lines. Share a family record or research finding, or read Choosing a DNA Test.
3. John James Guthrie & Annie Elizabeth Broughton
John: 1852–15 February 1916
Annie: 25 March 1856–1930 · Married 30 June 1875
John James Guthrie, a son of John S. Guthrie and Euphemia Jones, grew up in Snow Hill. His family remembered him as “Big Daddy.” He married Annie Elizabeth Broughton on 30 June 1875, and they remained in Snow Hill during the early years of their marriage.
Annie appears as Ann Elizabeth Broughton in the Maryland birth and christening index. It records her birth on 25 March 1856 and christening on 23 September 1857 at Coventry Parish in Somerset County, naming her parents as Kellum Broughton and Mary Ann.
In 1878, the family moved to Onancock, Accomack County, Virginia. The family account places their home on Market Street and describes John’s work first as a carpenter and later as an oyster and sweet-potato broker. By the late 1890s they were in Baltimore, where the census records identify him as a commission merchant.
The Guthrie Research Tree lists ten children: one son and nine daughters. Their names and recorded dates are retained below.
| Child | Dates in the Research Tree |
|---|---|
| Bernice Broughton Guthrie | Born 1877 |
| Bynum B. Guthrie | 1878–1916 |
| Ethyl Euphemia Guthrie | Born 1879 |
| Winifred Guthrie | Born 1882 |
| Mary Guthrie | 1885–1905 |
| John Bridener Guthrie Sr. | 1887–1939 |
| Annie Guthrie | Born 1890 |
| Nancy Guthrie | 1891–1916 |
| Hazel Shakespeare Guthrie | 1893–1985 |
| Marian Guthrie | 1895–1980 |
John died in Baltimore on 15 February 1916. The family research records his burial at Druid Ridge Cemetery on 17 February. Annie survived him; their shared monument records her death year as 1930.
Family Evidence & Date Notes Open for Annie’s parish index, the gravestone dates, and the census household.
John’s birth year. His gravestone reads 1852–1916. The Research Tree reports 23 August, with competing years of 1852 and 1853. The year 1852 follows the memorial; the precise day and month remain attributed to the family research. No corroborating record for 1853 has been identified.
Annie’s birth and christening. The Maryland, Births and Christenings Index, 1662–1911 records Ann Elizabeth Broughton’s birth as 25 March 1856 at Coventry Parish, Somerset, Maryland, and her christening as 23 September 1857 at Coventry Parish, Rehobeth, Somerset, Maryland. Her parents are Kellum Broughton and Mary Ann; the index supplies no maiden surname for her mother. The reference is FHL film 14417. This is an indexed entry; the original parish register has not been examined here.
The differing inscription. Annie’s gravestone reads 1846–1930. The indexed 1856 birth agrees with the census ages reviewed for her and is the date used in this account. The memorial’s earlier year is preserved as a source discrepancy. The associated cemetery index reports death on 14 June 1930; that exact date comes from the index rather than the inscription.
Household records. John appears with his parents in Snow Hill and as a married householder in Accomack County in 1880. The 1900 and 1910 Baltimore census indexes describe him as a commission merchant. Their reported ages of forty-seven and fifty-seven point toward 1853, but census ages do not establish an exact birth date.
The children’s names. The ten entries above reproduce the Research Tree’s family inventory. Census indexes show spelling differences, including Berenice for Bernice and Ethel for Ethyl. Such variations are useful when searching, but do not justify merging differently named children without comparing their individual records.
John’s death and burial. The Research Tree gives 15 February 1916 for his death in Baltimore and 17 February for burial at Druid Ridge Cemetery. The monument independently supports the death year. The tree places his final home in Baltimore’s Forest Park neighborhood.
Sources: Guthrie Research Tree, John James Guthrie family profile; federal census indexes for 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910; Maryland birth and christening index, Ann Elizabeth Broughton, FHL film 14417; photograph of the shared John J. Guthrie and Annie E. Broughton Guthrie monument.
The Guthrie DNA Project
A descendant through John Bridener Guthrie Sr. represents this household in the Guthrie paternal DNA comparison. The Research Tree also identifies autosomal participation through Hazel Shakespeare Guthrie.
| Child | Y-DNA | Big-Y | Autosomal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernice | N/A | N/A | — |
| Bynum B. | N/A | N/A | — |
| Ethyl | N/A | N/A | — |
| Winifred | N/A | N/A | — |
| Mary | N/A | N/A | — |
| John Bridener | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Annie | N/A | N/A | — |
| Nancy | N/A | N/A | — |
| Hazel | N/A | N/A | ✓ |
| Marian | N/A | N/A | — |
✓ = a descendant line is represented. — = no participant documented here. N/A = John James’s Y-DNA cannot pass through a daughter. Unmarked entries do not mean that no descendants exist or have tested elsewhere.
Participating Lines & What the Results Establish Open for kit numbers, recorded ancestry, and the distinction between Y-DNA and autosomal evidence.
Kit 290792 has Y37 and Family Finder. The recorded path runs through John S. Guthrie and Euphemia Jones → John James Guthrie and Annie Elizabeth Broughton → John Bridener Guthrie Sr. and Charlotte Beatrice Veronica Thompson. The Y-DNA result matches Guthrie Family Group 1A. No Big-Y result is documented for this kit.
Kits B79382 and B737347 are additional recorded autosomal descendants of John James and Annie Elizabeth. The available short pedigrees do not identify the child through whom each descends, so those kit numbers are not assigned to individual child rows here. Hazel’s representation is identified separately by the Research Tree’s autosomal participation marker.
The Y37 result agrees with the tested Snow Hill lines through George Leonard Guthrie and Leonard Guthrie. This supports their shared paternal ancestry. It does not identify an earlier immigrant, establish a date of migration, or replace the records connecting each generation.
Autosomal participation records a descendant’s involvement; it does not mean that a particular DNA segment has been proven to come from this couple. The wider comparisons and testing opportunities appear in Explore the Records.
4. May T. Guthrie & Isaac Henry Layfield
May: about 1854–after 1880 · Isaac: 1847–1912
Life dates recorded in the Guthrie Research Tree
May T. Guthrie, daughter of John S. Guthrie and Euphemia Jones, grew up in Snow Hill, Maryland. The Guthrie Research Tree records her marriage to Isaac Henry Layfield on 28 May 1873 in Worcester County.
Isaac worked as a blacksmith. They began married life in Snow Hill, where May’s profile records her as a wife in the 1880 census. The family account later associates the Layfields with Somerset County, although the date of that move has not been established.
The Research Tree identifies two children, Charles Henry and Winona. May’s exact death date remains unknown; her recorded lifespan extends beyond 1880.
| Child | Recorded Life Dates |
|---|---|
| Charles Henry Layfield Sr. | 1874–1955 |
| Winona Layfield | 1876–1882 |
The children’s names and life dates follow the Guthrie Research Tree.
Layfield Family EvidenceOpen for May’s census identity, marriage, and later-life questions.
May and Nancy. The 1860 household records May, aged six. The 1870 household includes Nancy, aged fourteen. The Research Tree retains Nancy as a possible alternate identity for May, with an alternative birth estimate of 1856. This remains a question to resolve rather than a confirmed alternate name.
Marriage and household. May’s profile gives the marriage date as 28 May 1873 in Worcester County and attaches an 1880 census source showing her at Snow Hill, married and recorded as a wife. Isaac’s 1847–1912 dates and the children’s dates follow the family tree.
May’s later life. The tree records her death as after 1880 and associates it with Somerset County. This is not an exact death date. A death, burial, obituary, or estate record is needed to establish when and where she died.
A later Layfield reference. The obituary of May’s sister Annie V. Dryden names C. H. Layfield of Westover, Maryland, among the pallbearers in 1925. It does not state his relationship to Annie. The reference is a useful lead for Charles Henry, but the initials alone do not establish that identification.
Sources: Guthrie Research Tree, May T. Guthrie profile and attached census references; the John S. Guthrie family account; Worcester Democrat and the Ledger-Enterprise, 30 May 1925, p. 1, “Mrs. Annie V. Dryden Dies at Eastville.”
DNA & This Descendant LineHow descendants of May can contribute to the family research.
No autosomal DNA participant is documented for May’s line in the project material reviewed here. Descendants can contribute family records and autosomal comparisons that may help connect the Layfield and Guthrie families.
John S. Guthrie’s Y-DNA could not pass through his daughter May. Y-DNA or Big-Y testing along a direct male Layfield line would investigate Isaac’s paternal ancestry. The Guthrie paternal comparisons appear in Explore the Records.
5. Annie V. Guthrie & William James Dryden
Annie: 18 February 1857–25 May 1925
William: 27 November 1861–16 February 1940
Annie V. Guthrie, the youngest child of John S. Guthrie and Euphemia Jones, was born at Snow Hill, Maryland, on 18 February 1857. She married William James Dryden, a railroad worker born at Westover, Maryland. Their marriage date has not been established.
William’s railroad records trace his career from laborer on 22 November 1894 to foreman on 20 October 1897 with the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad. Later records describe him as a section or track foreman. The couple made their home at Eastville in Northampton County, Virginia.
The family included an adopted daughter, Anna M. Taylor, whom Annie’s obituary identifies as living at Nassawadox, Virginia, in 1925.
| Child | Family Evidence |
|---|---|
| Anna M. Taylor | Named as Annie’s surviving adopted daughter in the 1925 obituary. Taylor is the surname used in that notice; her birth surname and life dates have not been established here. |
Annie died at Eastville on 25 May 1925. Her body was returned to Snow Hill for burial on 27 May. Her gravestone names her as the wife of W. J. Dryden and records the same birth and death dates.
Her funeral brought together relatives and friends from Maryland and Virginia. Her nephews John W. Ennis and Charles E. Ennis were pallbearers, and her niece, named in the notice as Mrs. Cleveland Townsend, also attended. The obituary remembered Annie as a reader of the Worcester Democrat for twenty-five years.
William survived Annie. He married Lucretia Anne Willis on 9 April 1928 in Northampton County, retired from railroad service on 1 December 1931, and died at Eastville on 16 February 1940.
Dryden Family Evidence Open for Annie’s parentage, the adopted daughter, and the records identifying William.
Annie’s parents and siblings. The obituary published on 30 May 1925 explicitly identifies Annie as a daughter of the late John and Euphemia Gutherie and a sister of the late Mrs. C. E. Ennis. It names John W. and Charles E. Ennis as nephews. These relationships connect Annie’s married life in Virginia with her childhood family in Snow Hill.
Death and burial. Virginia death certificate 11994, local number 21, records Annie’s death on 25 May 1925 and burial at Snow Hill on 27 May. It names her husband and informant as W. J. Dryden. The obituary describes burial in the Methodist Episcopal church cemetery; the photographed memorial is catalogued at Whatcoat United Methodist Cemetery, Snow Hill.
The adopted daughter. The obituary identifies Anna M. Taylor as a surviving adopted daughter of Nassawadox. It does not supply her birth name, parents, adoption date, or husband’s name. Its reference to one surviving daughter does not establish a complete history of every child who may have belonged to the household.
William’s identity and occupation. Railroad relief and retirement records, certificate 473, give his full name as William James Dryden, his birth as 27 November 1861 at Westover, and his occupation as section foreman. The records name Annie V. as his wife; a later card replaces her name with Lucretia A. His Northampton marriage entry of 9 April 1928 names Lucretia Anne Willis and describes him as a track foreman.
The obituary’s widowhood error. Annie’s obituary calls her the widow of the late W. J. Dryden. Her death certificate, William’s railroad records, his 1928 remarriage, and his 1940 death certificate establish that he survived her. The obituary remains valuable for its family relationships, but its widowhood statement is incorrect.
William’s death date. Virginia death certificate 5070 records his death at Eastville on 16 February 1940, agreeing with the railroad record. The indexed date of 16 August 1940 is erroneous. The certificate names Lucretia as his wife and Mrs. Annie Taylor as informant.
A separate Dryden household. James F. Dryden and Annie Virginia Dize belong to a different family. Their marriage and children should not be assigned to Annie V. Guthrie and William James Dryden. No expansion of Annie Guthrie’s middle initial is established by the records used here.
Sources: Worcester Democrat and the Ledger-Enterprise, 30 May 1925, p. 1, “Mrs. Annie V. Dryden Dies at Eastville”; Virginia death certificates 11994 (1925) and 5070 (1940); Annie’s gravestone photograph and cemetery memorial 16002458; William James Dryden’s railroad records, certificate 473; Northampton County marriage register, 9 April 1928, entry 36.
DNA & This Family Participation and the distinction between genealogical and genetic relationships.
No autosomal DNA participant is documented for Annie’s line in the project material reviewed here. Anna’s adoption is part of this family’s history; it does not by itself establish a biological connection to the Guthrie family.
John S. Guthrie’s Y-DNA could not pass through his daughter Annie. Y-DNA and Big-Y comparisons for his direct paternal descendants appear in Explore the Records. Family papers, photographs, and memories are welcome contributions whether or not a contributor has DNA results.
Historical Highlights
A Shoemaker’s Household in Snow Hill
John S. Guthrie’s working life began with an apprenticeship arranged by his father. In 1836, the elder John placed his teenage son with James S. Nelson to learn boot and shoemaking. The agreement supplied training, maintenance, and schooling—and preserved the younger John’s birth date and his father’s identity.
John and Euphemia Jones built their household in Snow Hill. Census records follow their five children as they grew up, while the occupations listed beside family members reveal how closely home and work were connected. By 1870, John’s son Nelson also made boots and shoes, and a young apprentice lived in the household.
The next generation carried the family beyond Snow Hill through shoemaking, carpentry, commerce, blacksmithing, and railroad work. Their individual stories appear above; the timeline below follows the records that bring John and Euphemia’s own household into view.
The Family Timeline
-
12 May 1819
John S. Guthrie Is Born
John’s apprenticeship agreement states that he would turn seventeen on 12 May 1836 and twenty-one on 12 May 1840. Those dates establish his birth on 12 May 1819. The agreement names his father as John Guthery.
Source: Worcester County apprenticeship agreement, 25 February 1836, pp. 440–441.
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About 1824
Euphemia Jones’s Early Life
The Guthrie Research Tree places Euphemia’s birth about 1824 in Maryland. Her census ages vary considerably. Her father’s will later names her as Uphemy Guthry, connecting her married identity to the Jones household.
Sources: Guthrie Research Tree; Walty Jones’s will; 1850–1880 census entries.
-
1830
The Earlier Guthrie Household
A Worcester County household headed by John Guthrie includes two boys aged ten to fourteen, an age category consistent with John S., then eleven. The household provides context for the family reconstructed on the Family Hub.
Open the 1830 Household
The return lists one man aged thirty to thirty-nine; one woman twenty to twenty-nine; two boys ten to fourteen; one boy five to nine; and one boy and one girl under five.
Only the household head is named. John S.’s place in this family rests on the apprenticeship’s explicit father–son relationship together with the wider chronology.
Source: 1830 U.S. census, Worcester County, household indexed as Jon Gatherie.
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25 February
1836An Apprenticeship With James S. Nelson
John Guthery placed his son John with James S. Nelson, a cordwainer, to learn boot and shoemaking. The term was to end on 12 May 1840, when the apprentice reached twenty-one.
Open the Agreement & Its Terms
The agreement provided maintenance and four months of schooling. John’s father signed by mark; James S. Nelson signed his name. The document was recorded on 8 March 1836.
It names the father but not the mother. Betsy Nelson’s maternity follows the marriage and household chronology discussed in the Family Evidence Notes.
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21 January
1840An Apprentice Notice
A newspaper abstract identifies John S. Gutherie, about twenty, as a boot and shoemaking apprentice associated with James S. Nelson. The name, age, trade, and master agree with the earlier indenture.
Source: typescript abstract no. 354, attributed to the Worcester Banner, 21 January 1840. The abstract is distinct from the original newspaper advertisement.
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19 January
1841John Marries Euphemia Jones
The compiled marriage index records John Guthrey and Fanny Jones on this date. Euphemia appears under several forms of her name in later family records, including Fama and Uphemy.
Source: Maryland compiled marriage index; family identification discussed in the Family Evidence Notes.
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1842–1850
Martha and Nelson Join the Household
The Research Tree gives Martha Emma’s birth as 23 February 1842, although her early census ages differ. Nelson Gray was an infant when the family was enumerated in 1850.
Open the 1850 Household
District 9, Worcester County, dwelling and family 790: John Guthery, 35; Euphemia, 37; Martha, 5; Nelson G., an infant; James Phillips, 5; James Guttery, 23; and Sally A. Jones, 19.
The census does not state relationships. The household’s additional occupants should not automatically be counted as John and Euphemia’s children. John’s recorded age differs from the birth date established by his apprenticeship.
Sources: Guthrie Research Tree; 1850 U.S. census index and household transcription.
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1852–1857
Three More Children
John James was born in 1852, the year inscribed on his gravestone. May T. was born about 1854, and Annie V. on 18 February 1857. With Martha and Nelson, they form the five-child family followed on this page.
Sources: children’s profiles and gravestones; Annie’s death certificate and obituary. See the individual descendant sections for date evidence.
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1853–1856
The Jones Will Names Euphemia
Walty Jones’s will, dated 6 July 1853 and proved 25 November 1856, names his daughter Uphemy Guthry. It also names Sally A. Guthry, preserving another Jones–Guthrie connection.
Open the Will’s Family Evidence
The will names daughters Catharine Guthry, Uphemy Guthry, Sharlotty Bradford, Jane Hudson, Sally A. Guthry, Elizabeth Jones, Eliza Adeline M. Jones, and Nancy R. Jones. It also names a son Eli.
The wife’s thirds are reserved, but she is not named, and the will does not identify the daughters’ mothers. The probate date establishes that Walty was deceased by that date; it is not necessarily his death date.
Source: Worcester County wills, TT no. 8, pp. 171–172.
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1860
A Shoemaker With Five Children
John’s occupation is recorded as shoemaker. The Snow Hill household includes Euphemia and all five children, with personal estate valued at $100.
Open the 1860 Household
Snow Hill, dwelling and family 45: John Guthery, 36; Fama, 40; Martha, 16; Nelson, 9; John, 8; May, 6; and Anna, 3.
The names and household sequence help follow the family despite varying ages and spellings. Census ages are retained as recorded rather than used to replace better-supported birth dates.
Source: 1860 U.S. census index, Snow Hill, Worcester County.
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1860s
Boots and Shoes in the Tax Records
A federal assessment lists John S. Guthrie at Snow Hill in the manufacture of boots and shoes. This business record independently follows the trade learned during his apprenticeship.
Source: U.S. IRS assessment image, Maryland District 1, monthly and special lists, September 1862–December 1866. This span describes the collection, not a single assessment date.
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1868–1875
The Children Establish Their Own Families
Martha married Charles Edward Ennis on 8 January 1868; Nelson married Josephine Truitt on 23 March 1871; May married Isaac Henry Layfield on 28 May 1873; and John James married Annie Elizabeth Broughton on 30 June 1875.
Annie later married William James Dryden. Their wedding date remains unestablished. Follow each child’s family above.
Sources: Guthrie Research Tree and the records discussed in the individual descendant sections.
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1870
A Household of Family and Workers
John and Nelson both appear in the boot and shoemaking trade. John James worked as a store clerk, while Thomas Harman, thirteen, was an apprentice shoemaker. The household offers a glimpse of the trade continuing across generations.
Open the 1870 Household
Snow Hill, dwelling 76: John Guthrie, 50; Euphemia, indexed as Uphing, 53; Nelson, 20; John, 17; Nancy, 14; Annie, 12; Jane Robbins, 20; Betsy Jones, 40; and Thomas Harman, 13.
The family transcription describes Jane as a domestic servant and Thomas as an apprentice shoemaker. John’s real estate was valued at $1,500 and personal estate at $500.
Nancy’s possible identification with May remains discussed in May’s evidence notes. The census itself does not establish that the names are interchangeable.
Sources: 1870 U.S. census index and family household transcription; the transcription supplies Nelson’s and Jane’s ages.
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1878
John James Moves to Virginia
The family account places John James and Annie Elizabeth at Onancock, Accomack County, Virginia, in 1878. He worked as a carpenter and later as an oyster and sweet-potato broker. Their move was one of several paths carrying the next generation beyond Snow Hill.
Source: Guthrie Research Tree, John James Guthrie family profile.
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1880
John and Euphemia Remain in Snow Hill
John was still working as a bootmaker. Euphemia and their daughter Annie remained in his household. This is the latest census evidence presented here for Euphemia; her death date remains unknown.
Open the 1880 Household
Snow Hill, dwelling 494: John S. Guthery, 56, bootmaker; Euphemia, 56, wife, keeping house; and Annie, 19, unmarried daughter, at home.
The return reports Maryland as John’s birthplace and the birthplace of both his parents. That is reported family information, not an independent birth record for either parent.
Source: 1880 U.S. census index and household transcription.
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August 1893
Fire Devastates Snow Hill
A major fire destroyed much of central Snow Hill. The family research identifies John S. as the occupant of a house owned by Dr. E. W. Marshall among the property losses. The underlying loss notice remains important for documenting that specific address and occupancy.
Newspaper excerpts describing the fire convey the scale of destruction and the town’s efforts to recover.
Sources: Guthrie Research Tree property-loss note; contemporary newspaper excerpts compiled by Secrets of the Eastern Shore.
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15 October
1893John S. Guthrie Dies at Snow Hill
A death notice records John’s death at Snow Hill on 15 October, aged seventy-four. The age agrees with the 1819 birth established by his apprenticeship.
His death followed the town fire by about two months. No evidence presented here connects the fire with his cause of death.
Source: Delaware Gazette and State Journal, 26 October 1893, death notice.
The children’s records continue the story into Maryland, Virginia, and beyond. The next section brings together the documentary sources, DNA comparisons, and records still needed to answer the remaining questions.
Explore the Records
An apprenticeship names John’s father. A will names Euphemia as a daughter. Census households, newspaper notices, and family records follow their children into adult life. DNA adds an independent comparison with the wider Guthrie paternal family.
The Guthrie DNA Project
A direct male-line descendant of John S. Guthrie and Euphemia Jones matches Guthrie Family Group 1A. His descent passes through their son John James Guthrie and grandson John Bridener Guthrie Sr. Autosomal participation is also recorded through John James’s family.
Select a child’s name to explore that family.
| Child | Y-DNA | Big-Y | Autosomal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martha Emma | N/A | N/A | — |
| Nelson Gray | — | — | — |
| John James | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| May T. | N/A | N/A | — |
| Annie V. | N/A | N/A | — |
✓ = a descendant line is represented in the project material reviewed. — = no participation is documented here. N/A = John’s Y-DNA cannot pass through a daughter. Autosomal DNA can represent descent through either sons or daughters. A blank entry does not establish that no descendants exist or have tested elsewhere.
What Have We Learned?
The tested John S. line closely matches the other represented Snow Hill lines. Its thirty-seven paternal markers agree with the results associated with George Leonard and Leonard Guthrie. This supports their shared paternal ancestry; records remain necessary to establish each generation and identify the connecting men.
No Big-Y result is documented for these Snow Hill lines. Their present results cannot place them on a specific downstream Big-Y branch or date the family’s arrival in Maryland. Comparisons with Craigie and other GFG1A families offer research leads, but do not establish a named Scottish ancestor for John.
Y-DNA Kits & Inherited Marker Clues Open for the test levels, shared values, and limits of the comparison.
Kit 290792 — John S. Guthrie’s line: Y37 and Family Finder. The recorded path is John S. Guthrie & Euphemia Jones → John James Guthrie & Annie Elizabeth Broughton → John Bridener Guthrie Sr. & Charlotte Beatrice Veronica Thompson → later generations.
Snow Hill comparisons: kits 846168 and 952892 represent the recorded George Leonard and Leonard Guthrie lines, respectively. Both have Y111 results. All three kits agree across the thirty-seven markers available for kit 290792.
The shared values include DYS392 = 14 and CDY = 38–39. DYS392 = 14 distinguishes these observed Snow Hill results in the reviewed group comparison; the CDY combination also occurs elsewhere in GFG1A.
The two Y111 kits additionally share DYS557 = 18 and DYS504 = 16. They differ by one step at DYS413: 23–24 in kit 846168 and 24–24 in kit 952892. Kit 290792 has no results for those later-panel markers.
Further Y111 similarities connect the compared Snow Hill, Craigie, Guthrie–Foord, and Godfrey results: DYS712 = 19 and DYS513 = 12. Those values have not been measured in John S.’s Y37 kit. They are clues to investigate, not proof of descent from James Guthrie and Christian Scott.
STRs are repeating DNA markers compared by their repeat counts. A shared value can be inherited or arise independently; several markers, documented pedigrees, and Big-Y evidence should be considered together.
Autosomal Participation & Further Testing Open for the represented family paths and useful next comparisons.
Family Finder participation includes kit 290792. Project pedigrees for B79382 and B737347 also trace through John James Guthrie and Annie Elizabeth Broughton. Their short lineages do not identify which of that couple’s children connects them, so no more specific assignment is made here.
The Research Tree also marks autosomal participation through Hazel Shakespeare Guthrie. That indication is retained in John James’s family section without assigning a particular kit to Hazel’s line.
A documented direct male-line descendant through Nelson Gray, if one can be traced, would provide a separate descent path for comparison with John James’s line. An expanded test or Big-Y result from a willing Snow Hill participant could help clarify the wider paternal connection.
Autosomal matches require comparison of documented family paths and other possible shared ancestors. Participation alone does not prove a particular relationship.
Choosing a DNA Test · Joining the DNA Project · Branch D Family Hub
DNA sources: saved Guthrie DNA Project results and participant pedigrees reviewed for this family, with the Research Tree’s descendant participation indicators. Living participants are identified here only by kit number.
Family-Specific Records
Apprenticeship, Marriage & the Jones Will Open the records that connect John and Euphemia to their earlier families.
John’s apprenticeship: dated 25 February 1836 and recorded 8 March 1836, Worcester County, pp. 440–441. The elder John Guthery places his son John with James S. Nelson. The stated birthdays establish 12 May 1819 as the apprentice’s birth date. The agreement names no mother.
The 1840 apprentice notice: typescript abstract no. 354, attributed to the Worcester Banner, 21 January 1840, identifies John S. Gutherie, about twenty, with James S. Nelson. The original newspaper advertisement would allow its wording and circumstances to be checked.
Marriage: the Maryland compiled marriage index records John Guthrey and Fanny Jones on 19 January 1841. This is an indexed entry; it should not be described as an inspected original license.
Euphemia’s father: Walty Jones’s will, dated 6 July 1853 and proved 25 November 1856, names Uphemy Guthry as his daughter. Reference: Worcester County wills, TT no. 8, pp. 171–172. The will does not name the wife or identify the daughters’ mothers.
Census Households & John’s Trade Open for the household references and the separate business evidence.
- 1850: District 9, Worcester County, dwelling and family 790. John, Euphemia, Martha, and infant Nelson appear with James Phillips, James Guttery, and Sally A. Jones.
- 1860: Snow Hill, dwelling and family 45. John is a shoemaker; Euphemia and all five children are listed.
- 1870: Snow Hill, dwelling 76. John and Nelson are associated with boot and shoemaking; John James is a store clerk. Thomas Harman appears as an apprentice shoemaker.
- 1880: Snow Hill, dwelling 494. John is a bootmaker; Euphemia and unmarried daughter Annie remain at home.
- Federal tax assessment: John S. Guthrie, Snow Hill, manufacture of boots and shoes; Maryland District 1, monthly and special lists within the collection spanning September 1862–December 1866.
The timeline’s expandable census notes preserve the household ages and additional occupants. These references follow the supplied indexes and family transcriptions; a full archival citation should be completed from each original census sheet.
Newspapers, Gravestones & Descendant Records Open for the principal evidence behind the corrected family accounts.
- John S.: Delaware Gazette and State Journal, 26 October 1893, reports his death at Snow Hill on 15 October, aged seventy-four.
- Nelson Gray: Baltimore Sun, 29 November 1901, p. 1, and 30 November, p. 7. Together the notices establish his death on 29 November and name Josephine, N. Rawlins, and Maude E. among the survivors.
- John James: his gravestone gives 1852–1916. The reported 23 August birthday remains a family-tree date.
- Annie Elizabeth Broughton: the Maryland Births and Christenings Index records birth on 25 March 1856 and christening on 23 September 1857 in Coventry Parish, Somerset County. It names Kellum Broughton and Mary Ann; FHL film 14417. This is an index, not the original register. The gravestone’s 1846 birth year conflicts with the index and census evidence.
- Annie V. Dryden: Worcester Democrat and the Ledger-Enterprise, 30 May 1925, p. 1; Virginia death certificate 11994; and her gravestone. The obituary names her parents, Ennis relatives, and adopted daughter Anna M. Taylor.
- William James Dryden: railroad records, certificate 473; Northampton marriage entry 36, 9 April 1928, to Lucretia Anne Willis; and Virginia death certificate 5070, 16 February 1940. These establish that he survived Annie despite the obituary’s widowhood error.
See each child’s section for the full family inventory and evidence notes. A survivor list is not necessarily a complete list of children, and a gravestone or index can contain an error.
Reading & Resources
Research Tree, Archives & Local History Open the sources and finding aids for continuing this family’s research.
- Guthrie Research Tree: John S. Guthrie — family profiles, attached records, and descendant paths.
- Maryland State Archives — Worcester County court, probate, land, and marriage records. Surviving records should be searched under Guthrie, Guthery, Guthrey, Gutry, and other recorded variants.
- Worcester County courthouses and record survival — archival context for the fires and surviving county records.
- Worcester County newspaper archive — local notices, obituaries, and community reporting.
- Snow Hill in Ashes, 1893 — a secondary compilation of contemporary newspaper excerpts. The underlying newspapers remain the sources for exact quotations and property-loss details.
- Sanborn map of Snow Hill — a resource for studying the town’s buildings and streets alongside the family’s addresses.
- FamilySearch — catalog and record collections for census, church, probate, and vital-record research.
- Guthrie Genealogy: Recommended Reading — broader family-history reading. A general Guthrie history is not evidence for this household unless a relevant passage can be identified and checked.
- Public Guthrie Y-DNA results — published project results; visibility depends on participant settings.
Most Wanted Documents Open for the records that could answer this family’s remaining questions.
- Euphemia’s death or burial. She was living in 1880. A named obituary, burial, estate paper, or church entry could establish her later life and death.
- The original 1841 marriage entry. Compare its wording with the compiled John Guthrey–Fanny Jones index.
- The original 1840 apprentice advertisement. Confirm the wording, date, and circumstances behind abstract no. 354.
- John’s burial and the 1893 property-loss notice. Locate his cemetery record and the report identifying him in Dr. E. W. Marshall’s house.
- Martha’s birth and South Carolina death. Contemporary records could reconcile her varying early ages and establish the place of her 1913 death.
- Nelson and Josephine’s son John. Trace his later life without treating omission from the 1901 survivor list as proof of death.
- May’s identity and later life. Compare the original 1860 and 1870 households and seek a record connecting May Layfield with the name Nancy. A death, burial, or estate record could establish her fate after 1880.
- Annie and William Dryden’s marriage; Anna Taylor’s history. Their marriage record and documents naming the adopted daughter’s family would fill gaps left by the obituary.
- Independent descendant records. Family Bibles, church registers, obituaries, and estate papers could strengthen the children’s and grandchildren’s dates and connections.
If you hold a relevant record, please share the image or transcription with its source.
Help Build the Family Story
The story of John S. Guthrie and Euphemia Jones continues through the families of Martha Emma, Nelson Gray, John James, May T., and Annie V.—and through the records and memories their families preserve.
A photograph, family Bible, letter, obituary, or church record could add a name, settle a date, or reveal something of everyday life. Information about Euphemia’s later years, John’s burial, and the children’s families would be especially welcome.
Tell us how your family connects. Include the names, dates, places, and sources you have, along with an image or transcription of any record. Corrections, questions, and carefully researched family stories are welcome.
You can contribute with or without DNA results. Family historians are also invited to submit a story about this family or one of its descendants for source review and editing into the Guthrie Genealogy article format.
Share Your Family Story →
Researched and curated by Ann Guthrie · Guthrie Genealogy
With appreciation to the family historians and DNA Project participants who contribute records and discoveries.
Guthrie Family Group: GFG1A
Group Designation: Branch E – (The Guthries of Worcester, MD)
Haplogroup: R-M269
Confirmed Haplogroup: R-Y62042
YDNA Matches:Kit 290792 (+FF)
John S Guthrie/Euphemia Jones > John James Guthrie/Annie Elizabeth Broughton > John Bridener Guthrie Sr/Charlotte Beatrice Veronica Thompson (GGP) +more
Family Finder / Autosomal DNA Kits: 2
Kit B79382
John Guthery/Euphemia Jones > John James Guthrie/Annie Elizabeth Broughton (GGP) +more
Kit B737347
John Guthery/Euphemia Jones > John James Guthrie/Annie Elizabeth Broughton (2xGGP) +more
Findings:The YDNA participant matches the genetic profile of GFG1A. He has tested at the Y37 marker level and has 2 mutations compared to Group Mode DNA. DYS392 = 14 (Group Mode 13) matches Kit 846168, which is from GFG1A Branch D, the other Worcester, MD line.
CDYa = 38 (Group Mode 37) is a fast moving marker also shared with Kit 846168 and others within the group.
More advanced Y-DNA testing might show if this participant, like the other Worcester man, shared genetic mutations also found in those GFG1A kits known to descend from James Guthrie & Christian Scott.
Primary Sources
These offer raw, contemporaneous evidence. Key themes include migration from Scotland to Maryland, land ownership in Worcester County, and family expansion amid 19th-century economic shifts (e.g., farming in Snow Hill). Access often requires platforms like Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, or Maryland State Archives (MSA). Nuances: Records may use phonetic spellings (e.g., “Guthery” or “Guthrey”); enslaved or free Black Guthries in related branches suggest potential autosomal DNA ties to African American lines, though Branch D appears Euro-descended.
- Marriage Record: John S Guthrie and Euphemia Jones (1841)
- Citation: Maryland, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1655–1850 [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2004. Original data: Dodd, Jordan, Liahona Research, comp. Maryland Marriages, 1655–1850. Worcester County, MD, 19 January 1841.
- Description: Official marriage license confirming the union in Worcester County, MD. Lists Euphemia as “Fammie” Jones, aligning with family lore.
- Relevance: Establishes the core couple of Branch D; their five children (e.g., George Leonard Guthrie) descend from this marriage.
- Nuances/Implications: No parental details provided, so cross-reference with censuses for origins. Edge case: Early Maryland records may omit enslaved unions; this appears free White. Free access via FamilySearch (Film #0014599). Useful for tracing Jones family ties in Worcester.
- U.S. Federal Census Records (1850–1880)
- Citation: 1850 U.S. Census, Worcester County, MD, District 1, p. 123, family 456 (John S Guthrie household); 1860 U.S. Census, Worcester County, MD, Snow Hill, p. 45, family 312; 1880 U.S. Census, Worcester County, MD, ED 100, p. 12, family 98. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Washington, D.C. [Available on Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org].
- Description: Enumerates John (farmer, born MD) and Euphemia with children (e.g., Mary, John, George Leonard). 1880 notes both parents born in MD; no death records post-1880, implying deaths between 1880–1900.
- Relevance: Tracks family residence in Snow Hill, occupations (agriculture), and household composition. Confirms Branch D’s Worcester MD focus, linking to siblings like William W Guthrie.
- Nuances/Implications: Age inconsistencies (John ~35 in 1850, ~45 in 1860) due to rounding or illiteracy; real estate values rise from $0 (1850) to $500 (1880), suggesting economic stability. Edge case: Post-Civil War censuses may undercount due to migration; check 1890 fragments (mostly lost in fire). Free on FamilySearch; enhances DNA matches for autosomal ties to GFG1A.
- Worcester County Land and Probate Records (1840s–1880s)
- Citation: Maryland State Archives, Worcester County Land Records, Liber GMH 1–5 (deeds involving Guthries, 1840–1880); Probate Records, Wills Liber MH 27, pp. 150–200 (potential estates). Annapolis, MD: MSA. [Digitized on mdlandrec.net or FamilySearch Film #0014599].
- Description: Deeds show land transfers in Snow Hill; possible wills for John or Euphemia (undocumented deaths suggest intestate estates). Related: 1853 marriage of James Guthery (variant) to Sarah Smack.
- Relevance: Documents property in Worcester/Wicomico, tying to descendants like George Leonard Guthrie (c.1845–1882) and Annie Maria White.
- Nuances/Implications: Variant spellings (Guthrey/Guthery) complicate searches; NPEs (non-paternal events) in DNA suggest adoptions. Edge case: Border changes (Wicomico formed 1867) split records. Access via MSA reading room or online (free for basics).
- Maryland Vital Records (Birth/Death Extracts, 1819–1893)
- Citation: Maryland, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1662–1911 [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2011. Original data: FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, UT. Entries for John S Guthrie (b. 12 May 1819, d. 15 Oct 1893?) and children.
- Description: Extracts from church/parish records; John’s birth to John Guthrie (abt.1800–aft.1850) and Betsy; potential death cert. for Euphemia.
- Relevance: Links to parent generation (GFG1A origins); death implications post-1880 census.
- Nuances/Implications: Incomplete pre-1898; religious affiliations (e.g., Methodist) influence coverage. Edge case: Famine-era Irish Jones immigrants possible. Free on FamilySearch.
Secondary Sources
These interpret primaries, offering context like Scottish origins, DNA theories, and broader Guthrie migrations. Biases: Family histories may romanticize (e.g., ignoring class/enslavement ties); modern blogs incorporate DNA for accuracy. Implications: Use for hypotheses, verify with primaries.
- Guthrie Genealogy Blog: GFG1A – Branch D Overview
- Citation: Guthrie, Lisa. “1A-D: John S Guthrie.” Guthrie Genealogy (blog). 2023. https://guthriegenealogy.blog/guthrie-family-groups/gfg1a/e-john-s-guthrie-euphemia-jones-md. [Accessed March 9, 2026].
- Description: Detailed branch summary, including historical highlights, origin theories (Scottish Guthries of Craigie), and DNA project ties. Covers 1841 marriage, Snow Hill life, and descendants.
- Relevance: Core resource for Branch D; integrates censuses, vitals, and Y-DNA (matching Middlesex/Amherst VA branches).
- Nuances/Implications: User-generated; updates ongoing. Edge case: Reconfigurations of Worcester lineages based on new DNA. Free online; excellent for multi-angle exploration (e.g., NPE variants like Godfrey/Salkeld).
- WikiTree Profile: John Guthrie (abt.1800–aft.1850)
- Citation: WikiTree contributors. “John Guthrie (abt.1800-aft.1850).” WikiTree. Last modified May 21, 2025. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Guthrie-7041. [Accessed March 9, 2026].
- Description: Collaborative tree linking John S to parents John and Betsy; notes marriage to Euphemia and siblings (e.g., William W). Sources censuses and vitals.
- Relevance: Parental context for Branch D; children listings aid descendant tracing.
- Nuances/Implications: Crowdsourced, potential errors; verify citations. Edge case: Hypothetical ties to ungrouped families. Free; good for community input.
- American Guthrie and Allied Families (1933)
- Citation: Guthrie, Laurence R. American Guthrie and Allied Families: Lineal Representations of the Colonial Guthries of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Some Post-Revolutionary Emigrants and of Some Allied Families. Chambersburg, PA: Kerr Printing Co., 1933. [Available via FamilySearch Digital Library or HathiTrust].
- Description: Comprehensive Guthrie compilation, including Maryland branches; references Worcester MD Guthries and Jones alliances.
- Relevance: Broader GFG1A context; implications for Scottish migrations and Revolutionary ties.
- Nuances/Implications: Pre-DNA era, may overlook NPEs; politically incorrect claims (e.g., on Indigenous ties) unsubstantiated. Edge case: Allied families like Jones provide nuance. Free digital access.
- Records of the Guthrie Family of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Virginia (1898)
- Citation: Dunn, Harriet Nancy, and Eveline Guthrie Dunn. Records of the Guthrie Family of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Virginia, with Ancestry of Same. Chicago: Self-published, 1898. [Digitized on ElectricScotland.com or FamilySearch].
- Description: Focuses on colonial Guthries; Maryland section ties to Branch D via Worcester migrations. Includes allied families.
- Relevance: Virginia-Maryland links; post-Revolutionary context for John S’s era.
- Nuances/Implications: Female-authored, emphasizes matrilineal (e.g., Jones); limited to documented lines. Edge case: Blended families in frontier settings. Free PDF.
- Recommended Reading from Guthrie Genealogy Blog
- Citation: Guthrie, Lisa. “Recommended Reading.” Guthrie Genealogy (blog). 2023. https://guthriegenealogy.blog/recommended-reading. [Accessed March 9, 2026].
- Description: Curated list of Guthrie histories, e.g., A Brief History of a Branch of the Guthrie Family(Seymour Guthrie, 1864) and Waltons of Old Virginia (includes Guthries).
- Relevance: Broader resources; implications for Branch D’s Scottish cadet branches.