A: James Guthrie & Elizabeth (MNU)
Guthrie Family Group 2A · Branch A
James Guthrie & Elizabeth (MNU)
Maryland · Orange County, North Carolina · Late 1700s–Early 1800s
James Guthrie and Elizabeth, whose maiden name is unrecorded, raised six daughters and two sons. Family accounts trace James’s journey from Northern Ireland to the Baltimore area and then to North Carolina, where the family made its home along South Hico in Orange County.
Land deeds, a will naming all eight children, and an estate inventory preserve glimpses of their farming household. Alongside livestock, farm tools, and spinning and weaving equipment were three Bibles, eight small books, and three pairs of spectacles. Their children’s stories extend these North Carolina roots into Tennessee, Kentucky, and beyond.
A note on identity: Elizabeth’s maiden name remains unknown. For the distinction between this couple and the James Guthrie–Elizabeth Dunlap family, see Mistaken Identities: James and Elizabeth Guthrie.
The Family at a Glance
James Guthrie
Farmer on South Hico
- Parents & Ancestry
- Parents unidentified; likely grandson of John Guthrie and Jane Stuart under the current Big-Y interpretation
- Birth
- About 1720, estimated from family recollections; Northern Ireland origins reported
- Marriage
- Elizabeth, whose maiden name is unrecorded; date and place unconfirmed
- Residence
- Baltimore area, Maryland, in family accounts; later South Hico, Orange County, North Carolina
- Death
- After making his will on 1 November 1800 and by May Term 1801, Orange County
- Burial
- Location unknown
Elizabeth (MNU)
Maiden name unrecorded
- Parents
- Unidentified
- Birth
- Date and birthplace not established
- Marriage
- James Guthrie; date and place unconfirmed
- Residence
- Orange County, North Carolina
- Last Documented Record
- Living on 6 November 1810, when she joined John Madden and Alexander McMenamy in a South Hico land conveyance
- Death & Burial
- Death occurred after the 1810 conveyance; date, place, and burial remain unknown
James’s will names Elizabeth, their two sons, and their six daughters. He left land to sons James and Robert, provided for his four eldest daughters, and made separate provisions for Jean and youngest daughter Elizabeth. His wife received the use of land and movable property during her life or widowhood.
The brothers James and Robert married sisters Jane and Mary Smith. The wider family’s marriages connect the Guthries with the McMenamy, Barnett, Snodgrass, Shannon, Forrest, Madden, and Patton families, whose stories continue across Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois.
The Next Generation
Select a child’s name to follow their story.
| Child & Family Page | Birth | Marriage & Later Life |
|---|---|---|
| Mary Guthrie | Before 1765, estimated Ireland or Maryland |
Married Alexander McMenamy; their Orange County marriage bond is dated 9 May 1795. They later lived in Tennessee. An 1840 death is reported for Mary, but its source remains unconfirmed. |
| James Guthrie Jr. | About 1765 Maryland, reported |
Married Jane Smith; bond dated 25 February 1791 in Orange County. A farmer in Sumner County, Tennessee, James was living on 23 July 1833 and died before 1862. |
| Martha Guthrie | Before 1766, estimated Maryland, reported |
Married Hugh Barnett, then Joseph Snodgrass in 1803. She lived in Logan County, Kentucky, where she executed a land deed on 8 September 1846. Her death date remains unknown. |
| Ann Guthrie | 8 March 1766, reported Maryland, reported |
Married John Shannon; bond dated 17 August 1784 in Orange County. They settled in Robertson County, Tennessee. Ann’s death is reported as 26 July 1834. |
| Rev. Robert Guthrie | November 1770 Near Baltimore, Maryland, reported |
Married Mary Smith; bond dated 29 January 1791 in Orange County. A Cumberland Presbyterian minister, Robert lived in Tennessee and later Chariton County, Missouri, where he died in September 1843. |
| Margaret Guthrie | Before 1775, estimated Maryland or North Carolina |
Married Mr. Forrest, whose given name remains unresolved. Her family continued in Tennessee. Son-in-law Thomas Hamilton identifies her as his wife’s mother and records her burial at Shiloh. |
| Jean Guthrie Also recorded as Jeany or Jane |
About 1775–1776 North Carolina |
Married John Madden; bond dated 10 December 1801 in Orange County. They later lived in Humphreys County, Tennessee. The mortality index records Jane Madden’s death in April 1860, aged eighty-five. |
| Elizabeth Guthrie | About 1782 Orange County, North Carolina |
Married Robert Patton; bond dated 28 July 1803 in Orange County. They moved through Tennessee to Illinois. Elizabeth probably died between 1830 and 1840, before Robert’s marriage to Harriet Brown. |
Family Evidence NotesOpen for birth estimates, marriage records, and the family connections behind this summary
James’s Origins & Ancestry
The approximate 1720 birth derives from family recollections that James was about fifty around the time of Robert’s birth in 1770. Northern Ireland and the Baltimore area belong to that family-history account. Current Big-Y findings support the working interpretation that James was a likely grandson of John Guthrie and Jane Stuart; the intervening parent remains unidentified.
Elizabeth’s Identity & Survival
Elizabeth’s maiden name has not been established. She should not be identified as Elizabeth Dunlap, Reins, or Smith. The 6 November 1810 deed names the elder Elizabeth Guthrie with John Madden and Alexander McMenamy; it does not name daughter Elizabeth Patton or Robert Patton as grantors. Its later proof in February 1811 is a separate event. See Mistaken Identities: James and Elizabeth Guthrie.
Eight Children & Their Birth Order
The will dated 1 November 1800, proved at May Term 1801, names all eight children. It groups Ann, Mary, Margaret, and Martha as the four eldest daughters without ranking them individually, and calls Elizabeth the youngest daughter. Mary’s and Martha’s early birth estimates depend on identifying them in unnamed census age categories. Ann’s exact dates are retained as reported family dates. Robert’s accounts differ between 3 and 12 November 1770, so the table uses the month and year.
Marriages & the Smith Sisters
The North Carolina dates above identify marriage bonds, which record the intended unions; they are not automatically ceremony dates. The marriages and family relationships rest on the combined records. Jane and Mary Smith were sisters, with Andrew Smith and Elizabeth Kerr retained as their working parents on the combined family and court evidence. A bondsman’s name alone does not establish that relationship.
Later Lives & Death Dates
James Jr.’s Parks deed was executed on 23 July 1833 and registered in 1844; the registration does not establish his survival to 1844. Later testimony places his death before 1862. Martha’s 8 September 1846 deed establishes that she was then living. Margaret’s husband’s given name and possible remarriage remain unresolved, while Hamilton’s account supports her maternal connection and Shiloh burial. Elizabeth Patton’s probable 1830–1840 death interval is retained alongside the family identification of Harriet Brown as Robert’s second wife.
Fuller source discussions and the family’s Y-DNA and Big-Y participation appear in Explore the Records and the linked child pages.
Historical Highlights
Fields, Books & Faith on South Hico
James Guthrie and Elizabeth’s family story reaches from Northern Ireland through Maryland to the farms along South Hico in North Carolina. Their grandson, Rev. Allen Washington Guthrie, wrote that James came from the north of Ireland before the Revolution, bringing a wife and several children, and settled near Baltimore. This family account preserves the broad outlines of their arrival, although the ship, port, and precise year remain unknown. Their later North Carolina records follow a household of two sons and six daughters.
A childhood memory places the family in North Carolina by 15 March 1781. Their son Robert remembered hearing cannon fire during the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. His son Allen later recorded that recollection, preserving a connection between the family’s early years in North Carolina and the Revolutionary War.
The land records give the family a more definite place on the landscape. A deed dated 11 August 1784 records John Gibson’s sale of 440 acres on South Hico to James Guttrie for £100. The property lay in the Orange–Caswell border area. Later entries, grants, and conveyances continue the South Hico connection, while James’s will describes portions of the family land by their position along a creek and beside neighboring owners.
The estate inventory taken on 5 July 1801 opens a window onto the work of the farm. It lists six horses, sixteen cattle, fifteen sheep, twenty-two hogs, and four geese. Ploughs, a cart, axes, hoes, a harrow, saws, and other tools describe the equipment of a working agricultural household. Spinning wheels, a loom, and related equipment also place textile production within the home. The inventory was returned to court at the August Term, after James’s will had been proved in May.
Among these practical belongings were three Bibles, eight small books, and three pairs of spectacles. The books were recorded alongside beds, chairs, tables, and other household goods. These details give the family’s history a domestic scale: fields and livestock outside, spinning and weaving within, and books kept among the possessions of daily life. They also provide the inspiration for the illustrations used throughout this family’s pages.
James’s will, made on 1 November 1800, connects the household with the next generation. He left one hundred acres to each son, James and Robert, and provided money for the four eldest daughters—Ann, Mary, Margaret, and Martha. Jean and youngest daughter Elizabeth received separate provisions that included household goods, spinning wheels, and livestock. His wife Elizabeth was to have the use of land south of the creek and movable property during her life or widowhood. Named grandsons connect the Guthrie household with the Shannon, Barnett, Forrest, and McMenamy families.
Elizabeth remained part of the North Carolina land record after James’s death. On 6 November 1810 she joined sons-in-law John Madden and Alexander McMenamy in conveying 323½ acres on South Hico to Richard Hinslee. This deed establishes that she was still living more than nine years after James’s will was proved. Her later history and burial remain unresolved, and her maiden name is still unrecorded.
By then, several children had established homes farther west. James Jr. and Robert, who married sisters Jane and Mary Smith, moved toward Tennessee around 1792–1793 according to the family accounts. Those accounts include an East Tennessee interval before settlement in Middle Tennessee. Ann and John Shannon joined the wider family migration during the same decade; Jonathan B. Butcher’s reconstruction of their tax and land records places their departure from North Carolina later in the 1790s.
The daughters’ families extended these connections across several states. Martha’s Barnett and Snodgrass households appear in Kentucky records. Mary McMenamy and Jean Madden later lived in Tennessee, where Margaret’s Forrest family also left descendants. Elizabeth and Robert Patton continued through Tennessee to Illinois. Marriage records, deeds, wills, and family recollections allow these separate paths to be followed while preserving their connection to the South Hico household.
Religious life became a prominent part of the family’s later history. Robert served as a Cumberland Presbyterian minister in Tennessee and Missouri, and his son Allen Washington Guthrie also entered the ministry. Allen’s family recollections preserve memories of the immigrant generation alongside the records of land and inheritance. Read together, those accounts and the household inventory give this branch its enduring themes of farming, books, faith, and family.
Follow the family timeline below →
Explore the records and DNA evidence →
The Family Timeline
Family accounts, land records, marriage bonds, and estate papers trace James and Elizabeth’s household from its reported Irish origins to South Hico and their children’s new homes. Estimates and recollections are identified alongside dated records. Marriage-bond dates are distinguished from ceremony dates.
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About 1720Estimated birth
James Guthrie’s Early Life
Northern Ireland, according to family history
James’s approximate birth year derives from family recollections that he was about fifty around the time of son Robert’s birth in 1770. His parents remain unidentified; the current ancestry interpretation places him as a likely grandson of John Guthrie and Jane Stuart.
Source: Rev. Allen Washington Guthrie’s family account; current GFG2A ancestry synthesis.
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Before 1770Family migration
From Northern Ireland to Maryland
Northern Ireland → Baltimore area, Maryland
Allen Washington Guthrie’s account describes James arriving from the north of Ireland with a wife and several children before the Revolution. The family settled near Baltimore. James and Elizabeth’s marriage date and place, and the precise year of arrival, remain unconfirmed.
Source: Allen Washington Guthrie’s account of the immigrant family.
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November
1770BirthRobert Is Born Near Baltimore
Baltimore area, Maryland, reported
Robert Guthrie, later a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, was born in November 1770. Accounts differ between the third and twelfth, so the month and year are retained here.
Sources: Guthrie family accounts; Robert Guthrie’s ministerial biography.
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By 15 March
1781ResidenceCannon Fire Remembered in North Carolina
North Carolina
Robert remembered hearing cannon fire during the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. His son Allen recorded the recollection, supporting the family’s residence in North Carolina by this date.
Source: Robert Guthrie’s recollection as recorded by Rev. Allen Washington Guthrie.
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11 August
1784Land purchaseJames Purchases Land on South Hico
Orange–Caswell border area, North Carolina
John Gibson conveyed 440 acres on South Hico to James Guttrie for £100. Thomas and Benjamin Douglass appear as witnesses in the deed abstract. The later court proof belongs to August 1785.
Source: Caswell County Deed Book C, p. 182, compiled abstract.
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17 August
1784Marriage bondAnn Guthrie & John Shannon
Orange County, North Carolina
The bond records the intended marriage of Ann Guthrie and John Shannon. John Shannon and James Guttery undertook the obligation; James signed the surname Guthrie.
Source: Original Orange County marriage bond, John Shannon and Anne Guttery.
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29 August
1786Land warrantA Warrant for the Hico Entry
Orange County, North Carolina
The margin of entry 151 records a warrant issued on this date. The entry describes 62 acres on the waters of Hicco adjoining James’s own land and neighboring properties.
Source: James Gutery land entry 151; warrant notation dated 29 August 1786.
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17 November
1790Land grantA Grant on the Waters of Hico
Orange County, North Carolina
The reported grant to James Guthra describes 123 acres on the waters of Hico. Its citation also refers to entry 151.
The 62-acre entry and 123-acre grant
The entry and grant share the same entry number but state different acreages. They should be examined together in the grant packet before their relationship is resolved or the acreages are added to a total holding.
Source: Reported grant 1080, entry 151, file 1992; Patent Book 75, p. 28.
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January–February
1791Marriage bondsThe Guthrie Brothers Marry the Smith Sisters
Orange County, North Carolina
The bond for Robert Guthrie and Mary Smith is dated 29 January. The bond for James Guthrie and Jane Smith, recorded as Jeane, follows on 25 February. Andrew Smith appears as surety in both records.
Sources: Original Orange County marriage bonds for Robert Guthrie–Mary Smith and James Guttry–Jeane Smith.
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About
1792–1793Family migrationJames and Robert Move Toward Tennessee
North Carolina → East Tennessee → Middle Tennessee
Family accounts place the brothers’ move during this period, with an East Tennessee interval before settlement in Middle Tennessee. Their later households and land records connect them with the Sumner–Robertson area.
Sources: Guthrie family accounts; Robert Guthrie’s ministerial biography.
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9 May
1795Marriage bondMary Guthrie & Alexander McMenamy
Orange County, North Carolina
The bond records the intended marriage of Mary Guthrie, written as Mary Guttery, and Alexander McMennamy. James Guthrie served as bondsman. Their family later continued in Tennessee.
Source: Original Orange County marriage bond, Mary Guttery and Alexander McMennamy.
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Late 1796–
early 1797Estimated migrationThe Shannons Follow West
Caswell County, North Carolina → Tennessee
Jonathan B. Butcher’s reconstruction places John Shannon on Caswell tax lists through 1796 and identifies a land sale dated 31 October that year. He proposes departure in late 1796 or early 1797, refining the timing of Ann and John’s move within the wider family migration.
Source: Jonathan B. Butcher, Shannon Ancestry—First Report, February 1989, pp. 1–3.
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1 November
1800WillJames Provides for Elizabeth, Their Children & Grandsons
Orange County, North Carolina
James’s will names wife Elizabeth, sons James and Robert, and daughters Ann, Mary, Margaret, Martha, Jean, and Elizabeth. It provides land, money, livestock, and household goods, and identifies several grandsons. David Mitchell and Isaac Rainey are appointed executors.
Source: Recorded will of James Guthrie, dated 1 November 1800.
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By May Term
1801Death & probateJames’s Will Is Proved
Orange County, North Carolina
The court proved James’s will at May Term 1801. His death falls after the will’s execution on 1 November 1800 and by this probate term; an exact death date has not been established.
Source: Court proof appended to James Guthrie’s recorded will.
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July–August
1801Estate inventoryThe Farm and Household Are Inventoried
Orange County, North Carolina
The inventory dated 5 July 1801 records six horses, sixteen cattle, fifteen sheep, twenty-two hogs, four geese, and farm and household equipment. It also lists three Bibles, eight small books, and three pairs of spectacles. The executors returned it at August Term 1801.
Source: Orange County, Inventories and Accounts of Sales, 1800–1808; James Guthrie estate inventory.
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10 December
1801Marriage bondJean Guthrie & John Madden
Orange County, North Carolina
The bond names Jean Guthrie, recorded as Jeany, and John Madden. Alexander Madden and Henry M. Collum undertook the obligation. The family later settled in Humphreys County, Tennessee.
Source: Original Orange County marriage bond, Jeany Guthrie and John Madden.
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26 May
1803Marriage bondMartha Barnett & Joseph Snodgrass
Warren County, Kentucky
The bond records the intended marriage of Martha Guthrie Barnett, widow of Hugh Barnett, and Joseph Snodgrass. Joseph and Isaac Stephens provided the bond. Their subsequent estate and land records continue Martha’s Kentucky history.
Source: Original Warren County marriage bond, Martha Barnett and Joseph Snodgrass.
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28 July
1803Marriage bondElizabeth Guthrie & Robert Patton
Orange County, North Carolina
Robert Patton and William Smith undertook the bond for Robert’s intended marriage to Elizabeth Guthrie. Their family later moved through Tennessee to Illinois.
Source: Original Orange County marriage bond, Elizabeth Guthrie and Robert Patton.
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April–November
1804Estate businessThe Executors Pursue an Outstanding Debt
Orange County, North Carolina
Estate papers record David Mitchell and Isaac Rainey pursuing a £7 7s note owed by Stephen Madden Sr. The sequence includes an April complaint, a May judgment, and later execution and levy proceedings.
Why the estate file is dated 1804
The archival year concerns continuing estate business. James’s recorded will had already been proved in May 1801. The papers identify Stephen Madden as the debtor; Samuel Benton appears as the justice.
Source: James Guthrie estate papers filed under 1804; Stephen Madden debt proceedings.
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24 August
1805Power of attorneyThe Snodgrass Household Pursues an Estate Interest
Logan County, Kentucky
Joseph Snodgrass appointed Robert Guthry to receive money or property due to him from the estate of James Guthry, deceased, and to give receipts. The instrument connects the Kentucky household with the continuing settlement of James’s estate.
Source: Logan Circuit Court Book A, p. 354; power of attorney and acknowledgment.
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28 October
1805Land conveyanceJames and Robert Sell South Hico Land
Caswell County, North Carolina
The deed abstract records James and Robert Guthrie of Sumner County, Tennessee, conveying 200 acres on South Hico to Bailor Burch for £100. This transaction forms part of the family’s inherited-land history.
Source: Caswell County deed abstract, James and Robert Guthrie to Bailor Burch, 28 October 1805.
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6 November
1810Land conveyanceElizabeth Appears in the South Hico Deed
Orange County, North Carolina
Elizabeth Guthrie, John Madden, and Alexander McMenamy conveyed 323½ acres on South Hico to Richard Hinslee for £300. Elizabeth signed by mark. Her participation establishes that she was living on this date.
The later proof and Elizabeth’s survival
William McMenamy proved the deed at February Term 1811. That later court action does not itself extend Elizabeth’s documented survival beyond the deed’s execution on 6 November 1810. Her death date and burial remain unknown.
Source: Orange County Deed Book 13, pp. 448–449.
The children’s linked pages continue their individual histories. For the source records, unresolved questions, and current genetic findings, continue to Explore the Records →.
Explore the Records
James Guthrie’s will, the household inventory, South Hico land records, and the children’s marriage bonds provide the foundation for this family’s history. Family recollections and DNA results extend the story across the Atlantic and into Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri.
The Guthrie DNA Project
Descendants of both sons, James and Robert, match the GFG2A Y-DNA profile. The confirmed branch roster includes five representative Y-DNA participants. Autosomal participants also represent the lines of Mary, James, Ann, Robert, and Elizabeth.
The two Branch A Big-Y participants belong to James Jr.’s line and share R-BY176999. They are brothers, so they represent one closely related paternal line. Robert’s line has Y-DNA representation and is not yet represented by Big-Y.
Which Descendant Lines Are Represented?
| Child | Y-DNA | Big-Y | Autosomal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary | N/A | N/A | ✓ |
| James | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Martha | N/A | N/A | — |
| Ann | N/A | N/A | ✓ |
| Robert | ✓ | Not yet | ✓ |
| Margaret | N/A | N/A | — |
| Jean | N/A | N/A | — |
| Elizabeth | N/A | N/A | ✓ |
✓ = recorded participation through this child’s line. — = participation is not listed in this summary. N/A = a daughter does not transmit her father’s Guthrie Y chromosome. An unlisted line may still have tested descendants.
The Autosomal column covers Family Finder and AncestryDNA participants where identified in the project records. The kit roster below follows the current FamilyTreeDNA participant notes dated 15 October 2026. AncestryDNA lineages are maintained separately. Test levels and Big-Y findings incorporate the project data reviewed on the same date.
Representative Participants & Their LinesFive Y-DNA kits, with autosomal representation through five children.
The paternal paths below begin with James Guthrie and Elizabeth. Only historical generations and kit numbers are shown.
| Kit | Paternal Line | Testing |
|---|---|---|
| 24607 | James Jr. & Jane Smith → Robert & Aseneth Motheral | Y111; Big-Y 500R-BY176999; also Family Finder |
| 84129 | Robert & Mary Smith → Andrew Harvey & Jane Stewart Kirkpatrick | Y111Also Family Finder |
| 934432 | James Jr. & Jane Smith → Robert & Aseneth Motheral | Y111; Big-Y 700R-BY176999; also Family Finder |
| 981291 | Robert & Mary Smith → James Smith Guthrie & Lethe Burns | Y37 |
| B1131 | James Jr. & Jane Smith → William H. & an unidentified Wildridge wife | Y-DNA participantTest level not specified here |
Kits 24607 and 934432 are the brothers described above. The Y-DNA line is traced through their fathers; additional descent through other children of James and Elizabeth belongs in the autosomal analysis.
| Child’s Line | Kit Numbers |
|---|---|
| Mary | 587303 |
| James | 126536, 261903, 315716 |
| Ann | 27183, 168521, 311304, 317762, 393480 |
| Robert | 126536, 136959, 315716, 345349, 448989, 680641, B252532 |
| Elizabeth | 36912 |
These are the fifteen Family Finder kits listed separately in the roster. Kits 126536 and 315716 appear under both James and Robert because they descend through both lines. The Family Finder participants identified in the Y-DNA table also contribute autosomal representation. A recorded descendant connection does not by itself assign a particular DNA segment to that ancestral path.
The Guthrie–Stuart Connection & Big-Y FindingsThe working ancestry interpretation and the missing generation.
James is currently considered a likely grandson of John Guthrie and Jane Stuart. This is the working interpretation of the combined family evidence and Big-Y findings. The intervening parent has not been identified.
Branches A, E, and H share the STR value DYS534 = 14, compared with the GFG2A modal value of 15. This inherited pattern supports the project’s Cluster 5, or Guthrie–Stuart, association. It does not identify the unnamed parent or establish that the three branch founders were brothers.
The reviewed Big-Y tree places Branch A’s R-BY176999 beneath R-BY107525. A separate downstream line, R-FTD50650, includes Branch H and the R-FTD48772 branches B, C, D, G, and K. Branch E has no Big-Y result in this review. The A–E–H STR grouping therefore should not be presented as an exclusive Big-Y branch.
A Big-Y result through Robert and Mary Smith’s paternal line would provide a comparison across the immigrant couple’s two sons. That line already has Y-DNA participants; an upgrade could help distinguish variants shared before the sons’ lines separated from those arising later in James Jr.’s line.
Family-Specific Records & Sources
Open a source group for its principal findings, record locations, and remaining questions. The summaries distinguish the dates of an event, a document’s execution, and its later recording.
James Guthrie’s Will — 1800–1801His wife, eight children, named grandsons, and the division of the farm.
Written 1 November 1800; proved at May Term 1801. Orange County, North Carolina, Will Book D, pp. 40–41. James died after making the will and before its proof; the record does not establish an exact April death date.
Structured abstract of the principal provisions:
- Wife Elizabeth: use of the land south of the creek and movable property during her life or widowhood, subject to the will’s remarriage and distribution provisions.
- Son James: 100 acres north of the creek. Son Robert: 100 acres west of James’s tract.
- Four eldest daughters, Ann, Mary, Margaret, and Martha: ten shillings apiece. The clause groups these four daughters without establishing their order of birth.
- Daughters Jean and Elizabeth: provisions for household goods, a flax wheel, saddle, horse, and two cows, tied to marriage or their mother’s death. Elizabeth is identified as the youngest daughter.
- Grandsons James and Robert, both sons of James: £10 each at their grandmother’s death.
- Grandsons James Shannon, James Barnett, James Forrest, and James McMenamy: £5 each.
- Executors: David Mitchell and Isaac Rainey. Witnesses: John Rainey, William McManamy, and John Sanders.
The will establishes the core family relationships. Marriage and later estate records connect the named daughters with their married households.
This is an abstract, not a word-for-word transcription. The recorded and loose-paper copies differ in the opening locality wording, “north side” and “east side”; that variation should be retained when the copies are transcribed.
The Household Inventory — July–August 1801Livestock, textile work, books, and three pairs of spectacles.
The inventory is dated 5 July 1801 and was returned by executors David Mitchell and Isaac Rainey at August Term 1801. It provides a detailed view of the household and its working farm.
- Livestock: six horses, sixteen cattle, fifteen sheep, twenty-two hogs, and four geese.
- Farm work: a cart, ploughs, axes, a harrow, and other tools.
- Textile production: two flax wheels, two cotton wheels, a loom, sixteen working spools, and cards.
- Reading and household life: three Bibles, eight small books, and three pairs of spectacles with a case.
- Financial assets: £3 10s cash in hand and £84 10s 4d in bonds.
The books and spectacles support the reading theme used in this family’s illustrations. The inventory does not identify the titles of the eight small books or assign individual objects to particular children.
Published source: William D. Bennett, Orange County, North Carolina Inventories & Estates, 1800–1808 (1994). The inventory date and its return to court are separate events.
South Hico Land, Grants & Heir ConveyancesThe 1784 purchase, the 1790 grant, and the family’s later transactions.
- 11 August 1784: John Gibson conveyed 440 acres on South Hico to James Guttrie for £100. The compiled abstract cites Caswell Deed Book C, p. 182. August 1785 is the proof date, not the date of purchase.
- 1786–1790 grant papers: entry 151 describes 62 acres on the waters of Hicco, with a warrant dated 29 August 1786. A grant to James Guthra dated 17 November 1790 describes 123 acres on Hico: Orange grant 1080, entry 151, file 1992, Patent Book 75, p. 28. The shared entry number connects the records; the acreage difference remains to be explained.
- 24 August 1805: Joseph Snodgrass appointed Robert Guthry to recover money or property due from James Guthrie’s estate. Logan County, Kentucky, Circuit Court Book A, p. 354. The power of attorney does not name Martha, and the space for Robert’s North Carolina county is blank.
- 28 October 1805: James and Robert Guthrie of Sumner County, Tennessee, conveyed 200 acres on South Hico to Bailor Burch for £100. The collected abstract cites Caswell Deed Book O, p. 247; the full deed remains a comparison target.
- 6 November 1810: Elizabeth Guthrie, John Madden, and Alexander McMenamy conveyed 323½ acres on South Hico to Richard Hinslee/Henslee for £300. Orange Deed Book 13, pp. 448–449; proved February Term 1811. Elizabeth made her mark, and John Dunn and William McMinnamy witnessed the deed.
The 1810 grantor was the elder Elizabeth. She was living when the deed was executed on 6 November 1810. Its later proof does not establish that she survived into 1811. Her daughter Elizabeth Patton and son-in-law Robert Patton were not parties to this conveyance.
The 1805 and 1810 acreages should not simply be added to declare the size of James’s estate. The earlier purchases, grant, divisions, boundaries, and intervening transfers must first be reconciled.
Orange County deed-index locator for Elizabeth Guthrie’s conveyance.
Marriage Bonds — Linking the Children’s HouseholdsSeven dated bonds; Margaret’s marriage remains unresolved.
These are bond dates. They should not automatically be presented as the dates on which marriage ceremonies took place.
| Bond Date | Couple | County |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Aug 1784 | Ann Guthrie & John Shannon | Orange, NC |
| 29 Jan 1791 | Robert Guthrie & Mary Smith | Orange, NC |
| 25 Feb 1791 | James Guthrie & Jeane Smith | Orange, NC |
| 9 May 1795 | Mary Guthrie & Alexander McMennamy | Orange, NC |
| 10 Dec 1801 | Jeany Guthrie & John Madden | Orange, NC |
| 26 May 1803 | Martha Barnett & Joseph Snodgrass | Warren, KY |
| 28 July 1803 | Elizabeth Guthrie & Robert Patton | Orange, NC |
Jane and Mary Smith are retained as sisters. Their placement with Andrew Smith and Elizabeth Kerr rests on the combined family and estate evidence. The two Guthrie marriage bonds alone do not identify the Smith parents.
The 1804 Estate File — Collection of a DebtStephen Madden Sr., the executors, and the Eno River levy.
The file’s 1804 date belongs to later estate administration. James’s will had already been proved in 1801.
A complaint dated 27 April 1804 sought £7 7s from Stephen Madden Sr. Judgment followed on 26 May, with interest from 9 February 1802 and costs. A writ dated 12 September led to the 20 November return reporting a levy on Stephen’s 500 acres on the Eno.
Stephen Madden Sr. was the debtor; Samuel Benton was the justice. The levied land belonged to Stephen and should not be added to the Guthrie farm.
James Guthrie estate file, Orange County — folder dated 1804.
Family Recollections, Migration & IdentityReading the Northern Ireland, Maryland, and Tennessee accounts together.
Rev. Allen Washington Guthrie’s family sketch preserves the account of James’s migration from Northern Ireland to Maryland. It is valuable family testimony from a grandson; the ship, arrival date, and precise route have not been established.
Allen also recorded his father Robert’s recollection of hearing the cannon at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. This places the family in North Carolina by 15 March 1781 without establishing military participation. The brothers’ Tennessee migration is placed about 1792–1793, with an East Tennessee interval before Middle Tennessee.
The Shannons’ move is later. Butcher’s February 1989 report, pp. 1–3, follows John Shannon in Caswell tax records through 1796 and cites his 31 October 1796 sale of 150 acres to Robert Harris for £200, Caswell Deed Book K, p. 175. The report places departure in late 1796 or early 1797; January 1798 is the deed’s proof date.
- 1778 Baltimore oath: Peden’s entry for James Guthrie, p. 113, before James Calhoun, reference A-2/41, remains an unidentified same-name record. It is not established service evidence for this James.
- Hugh Shannon’s land: the entry was made in 1779, but the survey naming James Guttry as chain carrier is dated 18 June 1785. The entry date does not place this James in North Carolina in 1779.
- 1803 tax entry: James Guttery’s name appears after the elder James’s death. An estate, an heir, or another man may account for it.
Elizabeth’s maiden name remains unrecorded. Dunlap, Reins, and Smith should not be attached to her as established surnames. The Elizabeth associated with a reported 1804 Gasper River burial cannot be this widow, who signed the 1810 deed. See Mistaken Identities: James and Elizabeth Guthrie.
Records That Connect the Children’s FamiliesKey findings to carry into the individual family pages.
- Mary McMenamy: the will and 1795 marriage bond connect her household with this family. The reported 1788 birth of Sally precedes that bond, leaving a maternity question to resolve.
- James Jr.: the Parks deed was executed 23 July 1833, Sumner Deed Book 19, pp. 120–121. Its 1844 registration is not evidence that James was then living. The later Smith litigation concerns the estate of John A. Smith, with Sumner depositions taken in 1873 for the Giles County proceedings.
- Martha Barnett Snodgrass: Hugh Barnett’s will of 6 October 1799, Logan Will Book 1, p. 11, names Thomas individually and refers to other children. Martha’s 8 September 1846 deed to W. Barnett, Book 26, pp. 456–457, does not expressly state their relationship. Her 1818 land-relief act is not proof of military bounty entitlement. Credit to Caroline Diepenbrock for her research on Martha’s family.
- Ann Shannon: John Shannon’s will was written 7 December 1819 and proved in May 1823, Robertson Will Book 4, pp. 20–22. It identifies nine children and appoints James Shannon, Samuel Shannon, and William Finley as executors.
- Robert: the Cumberland Presbyterian biography and presbytery minutes document his ministry. The October 1843 resolution records his recent death and refers to his surviving widow; Mary’s reported 1845 and 1846 death years remain unresolved.
- Margaret Forrest: Thomas Hamilton’s 1877 account explicitly identifies his wife’s mother as Margaret Guthrie and places her burial at Shiloh. It does not give her husband’s first name. The Forrest Bible record dates James Forrest and Sarah Dunlap’s marriage to 8 February 1816.
- Jean Madden: Samuel Morgan Madden’s reported 1796 birth precedes the 1801 bond, so his maternity needs separate evidence. A probate entry dated 3 July 1871 should not be converted into a death date.
- Elizabeth Patton: the family reconstruction places her probable death and Robert’s remarriage within 1830–1840. His later wife was Harriet Brown. The elder Elizabeth’s 1810 deed should not be assigned to this daughter.
Reference Sources & Further Reading
Family Papers, Published Accounts & Research CollectionsSources to read alongside the original records.
- Laurence R. Guthrie, American Guthrie and Allied Families (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Kerr Printing Company, 1933) — an important compilation whose family accounts can be compared with the documentary and DNA findings.
- Descendants of James Guthrie of Maryland and North Carolina — Laurence R. Guthrie’s collected correspondence and notes, available through the FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Rev. Allen Washington Guthrie, Sketch of Tennessee and Missouri Guthries — the thirteen-page family account, with related correspondence.
- Historical Foundation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church: accounts of Robert Guthrie, Allen Washington Guthrie, and James Forrest, together with the Forrest Bible record.
- E. B. Crisman, Biographical Sketches of Living Old Men of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, vol. I (1877), pp. 93–106 — Thomas Hamilton’s account, including the Margaret Guthrie connection.
- William D. Bennett, Orange County, North Carolina Inventories & Estates, 1800–1808 (1994) — includes James Guthrie’s 1801 inventory.
- Henry C. Peden Jr., Revolutionary Patriots of Baltimore Town and Baltimore County, Maryland, 1775–1783, p. 113 — the 1778 James Guthrie oath entry, whose identity remains open.
- Butcher research report, February 1989, pp. 1–3 — the Shannon tax and deed sequence supporting a later-1790s departure from North Carolina.
The Guthrie Research Tree: James Guthrie brings together the family reconstruction and its source leads. Individual child pages provide the fuller descendant studies.
Most Wanted Documents
These records would address the principal gaps in the family’s story.
Documents That Could Clarify the Family ConnectionsPriority questions for Branch A.
- The missing generation above James. A will, deed, church entry, or family paper identifying his parents and connecting him with John Guthrie and Jane Stuart’s family.
- Elizabeth’s identity and later life. A marriage record, family Bible, estate paper, or burial record establishing her maiden name and tracing her after the 6 November 1810 deed.
- The complete South Hico land sequence. The entry 151 grant packet, the full 1805 Burch deed, and related surveys or transfers that reconcile the 62- and 123-acre descriptions and trace the inherited tracts.
- The Maryland-to-North Carolina connection. Records identifying the 1778 oath taker and linking this family’s Maryland residence with its documented North Carolina household.
- Contemporary records of the children’s births. Bible entries, church records, or comparable family documents that establish dates and the complete birth order.
- The Forrest and Madden relationships. Evidence identifying Margaret’s husband and any later marriage, and records resolving the maternity of Samuel Morgan Madden. Mary McMenamy’s earliest children also need comparison with her 1795 bond.
- Final estate distributions and family correspondence. Receipts, settlements, and letters that follow Elizabeth’s life interest and connect the heirs across North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Documents and well-sourced family information are welcome from every descendant line. Share a record or research lead.
Every family holds a piece of the story
Help Build the Family Story
The story of James Guthrie and Elizabeth reaches from the family’s remembered Northern Ireland and Maryland origins to their farm on South Hico in North Carolina, and onward through the homes their children established farther west. The will, inventory, land records, and family recollections preserve glimpses of work, reading, faith, and kinship. Y-DNA matches through both sons, James and Robert, connect this branch with Guthrie Family Group 2A.
What might your family add? A Bible entry, letter, deed, estate paper, or labeled photograph could help identify James’s parents, recover Elizabeth’s maiden name, or follow one of their children into a new community. Share the names, dates, places, and sources you have, including where a document came from. Questions, corrections, and family discoveries are welcome with or without DNA results. Descendants interested in contributing DNA evidence can also explore joining the Guthrie DNA Project.
I am interested in the descendants of Anna Gutrie and her husband John Shannon through their daughter Mary Ann Shannon (who was married to James Smith).
I do not show that Mary Ann Shannon, daughter of John & Ann (Guthrie) Shannon, was married to a James Smith. Her husband was William Finley, who is also named in John Shannon’s will. After their marriage, John & Ann moved to Robertson County, Tennessee, along with Ann’s brothers, James & Robert, and their wives, Jean and Mary. Do you have evidence to the contrary, or is James Smith a 2nd marriage?
Thanks for your reply.
I have been researching the ancestry of a Mary Ann Smith (who was married to a Reverend Joseph Lee Janeway). From my research, I believe my son-in-law and his children are descendants of Mary Ann Smith and Joseph Lee Janeway.
Information I have obtained online lists the information shown further below.
I’m attempting to validate the information shown below and to ascertain if these families are descended from John and Elizabeth Gutrie’s daughter Anna Gutrie and her husband John Shannon.
Thanks,
Peter Majerle
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Reference: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/53458875/person/392019384349/facts
Young Family Tree (rickanddrew)
Mary Ann Smith
Birth 1806 • Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States of America
Death 14 DECEMBER 1887 • Grainger County, Tennessee, United States of America
Family
Parents
James Smith 1784-
Mary Polly Shannon 1791-1855
Spouse & Children (see reference for full list of children)
Joseph Lee Janeway 1806-1887
Nancy Janeway 1828-1900
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Reference: http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/m/e/y/Ricky-L-Meyers/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-1001.html
Mary Ann Smith13325 was born 1806 in Jefferson County, TN, and died Dec 1894 in Grainger Co, TN.
She married Joseph Lee Janeway on 07 May 1826 in Jefferson County, TN, son of Joseph Janeway and Susan UNKNOWN.
Children of Mary Ann Smith and Joseph Lee Janeway are:
Nancy Janeway, b. 1828, Lone Mountain, Claiborne County, TN, d. date unknown.
Joseph Leslie Janeway, b. 28 Jun 1831, Lone Mountain, Claiborne County, TN, d. 16 Jun 1913, Lone Mountain, Claiborne County, TN.
Luvicey Janeway, b. 28 Feb 1834, Lone Mountain, Claiborne County, TN, d. date unknown.
John Janeway, b. 1836, Lone Mountain, Claiborne County, TN, d. 24 Oct 1864, Tennessee.
Mary Ann Janeway, b. 26 Feb 1838, Lone Mountain, Claiborne County, TN, d. 18 Jan 1913, Tennessee.
Sarah Janeway, b. 1841, Lone Mountain, Claiborne County, TN, d. date unknown.
Minerva Janeway, b. 1844, Lone Mountain, Claiborne County, TN, d. date unknown.
Prior Lee Janeway, b. 09 Jul 1847, Lone Mountain, Claiborne County, TN, d. 14 Nov 1897, Tennessee.
Luna Lafayette Janeway, b. 30 Mar 1850, Lone Mountain, Claiborne County, TN, d. 15 May 1933, Tennessee.
+William M Janeway, b. 10 Apr 1825, Lone Mountain, Claiborne County, TN, d. 22 Feb 1897, Claiborne County, Tennessee.
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Reference: https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LWF4-2F8/mary-polly-shannon-1791-1855
Mary Polly Shannon 1791-1855
Birth 23 January 1791 Orange, North Carolina, United States
Death 2 October 1855 Robertson, Tennessee, United States
Family Members
SPOUSES AND CHILDREN
James Smith 1784-
Marriage:
Mary Polly Shannon 1791-1855
Children (1)
Mary Ann or Polly Smith 1806-1894
PARENTS AND SIBLINGS
John Shannon 1765-1823
Marriage: 17 August 1784
Orange, North Carolina, United States
Anna Guthrie 1766-1834
Children (10)
Elizabeth Betsy Shannon 1785-1866
Samuel Marion Shannon 1787-1834
Hugh Shannon 1790-1834
Mary Polly Shannon 1791-1855
James Shannon 1794-1866
Mary Ann ‘Polly’ Shannon 1796-1889
Ann Shannon 1798-1874
William Marion Shannon 1800-1849
Jesse Shannon 1802-1875
Patsy Martha Shannon 1803-1879
This appears to be a case of mistaken identity / copying errors.
James Guthrie & his wife Elizabeth (Maiden Name Unknown) had a daughter named Ann who married John Shannon on 17 Aug 1784 in Orange County, NC.
James Guthrie mentioned his grandson, James Shannon, in his will, along with a number of other grandsons named for him.
The two Guthrie sons settled in Robertson County, TN along the Red River, which is where John Shannon also settled.
John Shannon was on the Early TN Tax Records for Robertson County in 1812.
His will was recorded on 7 Dec 1819 in Robertson County, but he did not die until 1823. He and the family were listed in the 1820 census of Springfield, Robertson, TN.
John & Ann (Guthrie) Shannon’s daughter Mary Ann ‘Polly’ Guthrie could have been born in North Carolina. The Guthrie brothers did not move to TN until after their marriages in 1790/91, so the family move to Middle Tennessee occurred about 3 – 5 yrs afterward. According to the 1850 census, she was born about 1796 in NC. The 1860 census lists 1795, but in TN. The 1791 DOB listed for her in the third reference above is actually William Finley’s DOB.
John Shannon’s will mentions William Finley, the husband documented for his daughter Mary Ann ‘Polly’ Shannon. I do not have a marriage record for them.
William Finley and family were also living in Springfield, Robertson, TN during the 1820 census.
Being a Guthrie descendant of GFG2A-Branch A, I also have Autosomal DNA matches with descendants of all of the documented children of John Shannon and Ann Guthrie, excepting for son James and wife who remained childless. This includes matches for multiple William Finley-Mary Ann Shannon descendants, which would lend some scientific evidence for that match. I have over 100 AncestryDNA Finley matches, but have not traced all of them yet.
The Finleys were living in Carroll County, TN during the 1850s and 1860s.
Mary Ann ‘Polly’ (Shannon) Finley is listed as being buried in Finley Cemetery. I do not know if there is a headstone.
Looking at the data you have collected from trees for Mary Ann Smith, daughter of James Smith and Mary Ann Shannon.
Mary Smith married Joseph Janeway in Jefferson County, TN on 7 May 1827.
The locations listed for the Janeway family are Jefferson, TN; Claiborne, TN; and Grainger, TN. None of these are known to be associated with the Guthrie-Shannon line.
I have 8 AncestryDNA matches to people of the Janeway surname. One of them does includes ancestry going back to Rev Joseph Janeway and Mary Ann Smith.
However, we also have 9 other surnames in common, including Bryant. My shared matches with this person belong to the Bryant/Tolleson line, so the match does not reflect shared Guthrie ancestry via a Guthrie-Shannon connection.
I do not have any other evidence for you regarding your Mary Ann Smith’s parental origins. If her father was a James Smith married to a Mary Ann Shannon, that Shannon does not appear to be the daughter of John Shannon and Ann Guthrie of Orange County NC and Robertson County TN.
Thanks for your detailed reply. I’ll have to research further to see whether I can track down the ancestors of the Mary Ann Smith, who was married to Reverend Joseph Lee Janeway. I’ve just recently been on the hunt again for my son-in-law’s maternal ancestry – being cooped up in our home during this coronavirus situation has left me with a lot of time on my hands. If you ever run across information regarding this couple, I’d be interested in what you know. If by chance you are interested in this couple’s descendants, let me know and I’d be glad to share it with you.
[Note that the information I found online regarding this Mary Ann Smith’s father, James Smith, is that was born Nov. 1784 in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland and that he died in Tennessee. His parents (William Smith and Mary Elizabeth Scarbury also apparently died in Tennessee.]
Regards, Pete
Re: Martha Guthrie Barnett
I am a descendent of James Guthrie Barnett, through his son James Alexander Barnett.
Martha Guthrie was married to Hugh Barnett. He is most likely related to the the Barnett families of Orange/Caswell/Person counties. Marriage date and location is unknown.
Hugh Barnett was in NC as early as 1796 according to 1797 tax list.
Hugh died c1799 Logan Co., KY
Hugh’s will is located Logan Co., KY Will Book 1, p. 11
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9P39-YJD?i=21&cc=1875188&cat=318287
(other probate/estate papers not found)
Martha remarried Joseph Snodgrass Bond was issued May 26, 1803 Warren County, Kentucky
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L93Y-HK3G?i=648&cc=1804888&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQKJS-ZFGW
July 1803: Joseph Snodgrass was ordered by the Logan County, KY court to enter counter security for Martha’s administration of Hugh’s will.
Logan Co., KY Court Order Book 3, p. 5
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9P2-7987-K?cat=829091
In 1805 Joseph Snodgrass gave Power of Attorney to Robert Guthrie to inquire about the James Guthrie estate in NC
Logan Co. KY, Deed Book A, p. 354
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4R-59QS-4?i=529&cat=318268
Martha Guthrie Barnett Snodgrass probably died sometime between 1846-1850. The last record I can find of Martha is her land transaction to William Barnett in 1846.
Great! I will look into this. Appreciate the sources. I am usually busy helping everybody else with their family lines I don’t always get to spend much time on my own. It’s rare that new information comes along for me, so I am really excited about your research. Thank you!