Guthrie Family Group 5 – Branch F
JOHN ‘JACK’ GUTHRIE 1807KY-1870CA and FAIRVILLA RIDDELL
of Kentucky, and California, USA

CONTENTS:
Origin Theories
The Family of John ‘Jack’ Guthrie & Fairvilla Riddell
Historical Hightlights
The Guthrie DNA Project

Now that we know Jack Guthrie’s descendants belong to GFG5 and also have our unexpected genetic match to the Thomas Guthrie-Mildred Howell line also identified as GFG5 – Branch H, some of the family origins suddenly begin to come together like puzzle pieces. Whether they’re the right pieces will still take some research to prove.

Tullidge’s Histories (Vol.II) on a man named John William Guthrie, Mayor of Corinne, UT, and the founder of banking houses in Ogden and Corrine, is documented as the son of a William Guthrie 1804KY -1873IN and Elizabeth James. The Tullidge biography claims that William had a brother named John Guthrie who went to Napa California in the spring of 1850, and died in Sonoma California in 1866. The DOD is not quite right, but both Napa and Sonoma are the correct locations for John ‘Jack’ Guthrie.

Looking for other clues in Tullidge’s biography on Mayor J.W. Guthrie, it mentions that his father William Guthrie was the overseer of his uncle, Caleb Guthrie’s KY plantation until 1833. Caleb is not a common Guthrie name, but it is indeed found in Woodford & Shelby Counties, KY in the person of Caleb Guthrie, the youngest son of Thomas Guthrie and Mildred Howell (GFG5-Branch H). The Y-DNA conclusively proves a shared direct paternal ancestor, but just how close in that family line?

This would mean that William Guthrie (1804KY-1873IN) and John ‘Jack’ Guthrie (1807KY-1870CA) are the nephews of Caleb Guthrie, grandchildren of Thomas Guthrie (1744 – 1837KY) and Mildred Howell, and therefore the sons of one of their sons. Looking at Tullidge’s account, “The great-grandfather of Mr Guthrie, on his father’s side, came from Scotland to America about the middle of the last century (1750s), which signifies that he was in this country during the struggle for American independence. He settled in the State of Virginia, and his son, William, the grandfather of our Utah banker, was born in that state. William moved from Virginia to Kentucky in its early settlement, and took his full share in the toils and hardships borne by the Kentucky pioneers.”

Note that his history does not identify the great-grandfather by name. Thomas Guthrie was born in or about 1844. Now that LRG’s previously published theory about his inclusion in the Pennsylvania family of James Guthrie and Miss Bissell has been debunked by Y-DNA testing, the fact that he lived in Fauquier County, Virginia in the 1790s prior to moving to Woodford County, KY about 1797 makes much more sense.

The household of Thomas Guthrie and Mildred Howell’s son John Guthrie (c1777VA-1848MO) and his first wife Molly Bridgeford includes 2 unidentified sons born 1803-1810 in KY that would be one potential placement for John ‘Jack’ Guthrie and his presumed brother William Guthrie if the above is accurate. One hiccup in this theory is that William Guthrie (1804KY-1873IN) is currently listed in most trees as a son of Nathaniel Guthrie and Nancy Johns, suggesting either a connection of that line with the GFG5 group (but it is currently in an ungrouped status) or that the wrong William was identified for their family.

All census data lists John ‘Jack’ Guthrie’s birthplace as Kentucky. The Bluegrass State is a key location for Guthrie Family Group 5 as the progenitors of Branch A, William Guthrie and wife Eleanor Harris Abbott also settled there about 1789. Note that a family history and some online trees list Jack’s birthplace as Maryland, but this may be due to his wife, Fairvilla Riddell’s place of birth, and an assumption that they came from the same place to Kentucky rather than first meeting in Kentucky prior to their marriage.

A great resource for descendants of John ‘Jack’ Guthrie and Fairvilla Riddell can be found online at The Internet Archive. ‘The Box Family History, Reuben Franklin Box and his California Family’ by Akins, Alice Box Ramsay, 1923, is a 516 page book full of family anecdotes, photos, newspaper articles and obits.

JOHN ‘JACK’ GUTHRIE
Parents: Unverified, but speculatively John Guthrie c1777 VA – 1819 KY and Molly Bridgeford
Born: 1 January 1807
Location: Kentucky, USA
Marriage 1: Unidentified, presumably in Kentucky, USA
Marriage 2: Fairvilla Riddell in Kentucky, USA about 1828
Occupation: Blacksmith
Died: 19 May 1870 (COD: tuberculosis)
Location: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California, USA
Buried: Santa Rosa ‘on the west side of the Greene paling on a knoll.’

ELIZABETH WHEAT
Parents: Unidentified Father and Elizabeth (MNU) Wheat
Born: 1803-1810
Location: Unknown
Sons: None
Daughters: Mary Elizabeth Guthrie
Died: About 1827
Location: Unknown, presumably in Kentucky, USA

FAIRVILLA RIDDELL
Parents: Unidentified
Born: 15 January 1808
Location: Virginia or Maryland, USA
Sons: Washington Guthrie, John Henry Guthrie
Daughters: Louisa Jane Guthrie
Died: 29 September 1868 (COD: bowel complaint)
Location: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California, USA
Buried: Santa Rosa ‘on the west side of the Greene paling on a knoll.’

GUTHRIE CHILDREN: 4
Y-DNA Project Participants: YES
Autosomal DNA Participants: NONE

CHILD PAGES / LINKS:

1.) MARY ELIZABETH GUTHRIE: 1827KY – ????CA m. FNU James
2.) WASHINGTON GUTHRIE: 1831KY – 1872CA m.1859CA Sarah Jane Box +children
3.) LOUISA JANE GUTHRIE: 1833KY – 1919CA m.1850MO William Ward Wallace +children
4.) JOHN HENRY GUTHRIE: 1845KY – Bef.1850 KY or MO. Died in early childhood.

1807: BIRTH of JOHN ‘JACK’ GUTHRIE
Kentucky, USA on 1 January 1807

Census records list Kentucky as Jack Guthrie’s birthplace.

1808: BIRTH of FAIRVILLA RIDDELL
Maryland, USA on 15 January 1808

Abt. 1726 JACK GUTHRIE’S FIRST MARRIAGE
Kentucky, USA, presumably

The identity of Jack Guthrie’s first wife is unproven. The marriage is mentioned in the family history and in the California, Pioneer and Immigrant Files. Woodford County, KY marriages lists a record for John Guthrie and Elizabeth Wheat who were married on 28 Dec 1826. This first marriage produced 1 daughter, Mary Elizabeth Guthrie, born 25 Oct 1727, about 10 months after the Guthrie-Wheat marriage.

1727: BIRTH of DAUGHTER – MARY ELIZABETH GUTHRIE
Kentucky, USA on 25 October 1827

Mary Elizabeth Guthrie was the only child born to Jack Guthrie’s first wife, who presumably died not long afterward.

Abt. 1728: MARRIAGE of JACK GUTHRIE & FAIRVILLA RIDDELL
Kentucky, USA

No marriage record found. The family history states the marriage was about 1728, but their first child was not born until 1831, so it could have been a little later.

1831: BIRTH of SON – WASHINGTON GUTHRIE
Near Lexington, Fayette, Kentucky, USA on 8 January 1831

AKA ‘Wash’

1833: BIRTH of DAUGHTER – LOUISA JANE GUTHRIE
Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, USA on 15 June 1833

1840: US CENSUS of KENTUCKY
Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky

Where is this family during the 1840 census? There is a J G Guthrie in Louisville, KY during 1840, but he is listed as 20-29 years of age:
2M & 1F 20-29, 1M & 1F Under 5, 2 female slaves 10-23 and under10, 2 employed in commerce.

1845: BIRTH of SON – JOHN HENRY GUTHRIE
Kentucky, USA on 23 August 1845

Before 1850: DEATH of SON – JOHN HENRY GUTHRIE
Kentucky or Missouri, USA, presumably

The family history states that John Henry Guthrie died during childhood. No specific date given, however he is not listed with his parents in the 1850 census.

1850: US CENSUS of MISSOURI
Blue, Jackson, Missouri, USA on 26 August 1850

The Guthrie Household:
John Guthrie 42 blacksmith KY
Favila Guthrie 40 MD
Washington Guthrie 19 blacksmith KY
Louisa J Guthrie 16 KY
Nancy J Brockman 30 KY

About this time, during the Gold Rush, Jack Guthrie and his son Washington headed to California traveling by covered wagon. They arrived in the Napa Valley and were enumerated again in the census there.

1850: US CENSUS OF CALIFORNIA
Nappa, Napa, California, USA on 9 October 1850

John Guthrie, 46, Blacksmith, born Kentucky
Washington Guthrie, 20, Blacksmith, born Kentucky

Jack and Wash set up their blacksmith business in California. Once that was up and running, Jack returned to Missouri to gather up the remainder of the family for the trip west.

1850: MARRIAGE of DAUGHTER – LOUISA JANE GUTHRIE
Independence, Macon, Missouri, USA

Louisa Jane Guthrie married William Ward Wallace. They also made the move to California when Jack and Fairvilla headed west about 1851.

1852: CALIFORNIA STATE CENSUS
Napa, California, USA on 9 Sep 1852

John Guthrie, 48, Blacksmith, Kentucky
Fairvelley Guthrie, 45, Maryland

1859: MARRIAGE of SON – WASHINGTON GUTHRIE
Sonoma County, California, USA on 15 December 1859

Washington Guthrie married Sarah Jane ‘Jin’ Box. She was the daughter of Reuben Franklin Box & Lucy Elizabeth Parker.

1860: US CENSUS of CALIFORNIA
Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California, USA

The Guthrie Household:
John Guthrie 57 Blacksmith RE:2500 PE:2000 Kentucky
Fairvelle Guthrie 52 Maryland
John Campbell 25 Blacksmith Tennessee

The Guthrie Household:
Washington Guthrie 29 M RE:1500 PE:300 Kentucky
Sarah J Guthrie 18 F Mississippi

1866: CALIFORNIA VOTER REGISTRATION
Sonoma, California, USA

John Guthrie, 62, Kentucky, Blacksmith, Santa Rosa Township
Washington Guthrie, 35, Kentucky, Farmer, Santa Rosa Township

1868: DEATH of FAIRVILLA RIDDELL GUTHRIE
Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California, USA on 29 Sep 1868

1870: DEATH of JOHN ‘JACK’ GUTHRIE
Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California, USA on 19 May 1870

1870 US FEDERAL MORTALITY SCHEDULE
Sonoma, California, USA

County Hospital
158 – Guthrie, John, 63, M, W, Kentucky, died in May, Blacksmith, COD: Consumption

1872: DEATH of SON – WASHINGTON GUTHRIE
Glen Ellen, Sonoma, California, USA on 13 October 1872

Wash and Jin’s marriage had produced 5 children, but the couple had separated sometime between 1868 and 1872. They went through a heated custody battle in the local courts, and the Box family were concerned that Wash would abduct the children. When he showed up at their home, Sam Box, Sarah Jane’s brother, happened to be holding a rifle, and Wash seemed to reach behind him to pull out a pistol. Sam reacted and the resulting shot hit Wash in the head instantly killing him. The incident can be read in detail in various newspaper articles copied in The Box Family History.

Guthrie Family Group: GFG5
Group Designation: Branch F – (The Guthries of Sonoma, California)

Haplogroup: R-M269
Confirmed Haplogroup: R-M269

YDNA Matches:  1
Kit 441345 (+FF)
John ‘Jack’ Guthrie/Fairvilla Riddell > Washington Guthrie/Sarah Jane Box > John Franklin Guthrie/Mary Ellen White > Guy Ernest Guthrie Sr/Marian Ethel Wiley (GGP) +more

Family Finder / Autosomal DNA Kits:
None

Findings:

The participant for kit 441345 matches the genetic profile for GFG5. He has a Y37 marker test matching Group Mode DNA 36/37. His single mutation is unique to his results.

BOOK: Muller, Jane Guthrie (1966). The Guthries of White River.
Excerpt: (Found on Find-a-Grave)

The Guthries came from Scotland to America before 1700 and settled first in Virginia.

John “Jack” Guthrie was born on January 1, 1807 in Maryland.

It is not known when he left Maryland or arrived in Kentucky, but he was a widower with a daughter when he married Fairvilla Riddell in Kentucky, circa 1830. She was born January 15, 1808 in Virginia.

Their son, Washington, was born near Lexington, Kentucky, on January 8, 1831. They also had a daughter, Louisa Jane, and a son, John Henry, who died while still a child after they had crossed the plains and is buried in either Napa or Yountville, California.

Jack and his son Washington came to california in a covered wagon in 1848, going first to Calaveras County, the center of the gold excitement at the time. Both were expert blacksmiths. In a few months, Jack went back for the rest of his family…Fairvilla, their daughter Louisa Jane and her husband William Wallace, and their child, Mag. John Henry, Mary James and their family followed later.

When Jack brought his wife to California, they lived in Napa for a while. Later, they established the first blacksmith shop on Main Street, on the east side of the plaza, and they had a very good business. He was a very good businessman and all of them wrote well. He made most of the woode parts of wagons, and his son would put the irons on it.

In December 1859, Washington married Sarah Jane Box, at the old Box home in Sonoma County. She had come to California with her family in 1852, overland from Texas through Mexico to Mazatlan and, from there, in a sailboat to San Francisco. Her father, Reuben Franklin Box, was born in South Carolina on December 8, 1808, and married Lucy Parker on September 1, 1936. Sarah was born in Alabama on December 13, 1817. They lived near Greensborough, Mississippi, on a cotton plantation which he owned, and their first five children (Fannie, Samuel, Adeline, Sarah Jane and Elizabeth) were born there. After they moved to Texas, they had Josiah, Allen and Elijah, who was a baby when they left for California. Reuben Franklin Jr. was born in Sonoma County a few months before the death of his father in July 1852.

BOOK: Akins, Alice Box Ramsey, 1991. The Box Family History: Reuben Franklin Box and his California Family. Digital Repository: Family Search (See Book Index for Guthrie names – p.464-465 (img 489, 499 of 507)

BOOK: Tullidge, Edward W. 1889. ‘Tullidge’s histories, (volume II) : containing the history of all the northern, eastern and western counties of Utah; also the counties of southern Idaho. With a biographical appendix of representative men and founders of the cities and counties; also a commercial supplement, historical‘ Salt Lake City, Utah. Edw. W. Tullidge, proprietor and publisher. Digital Repository: Internet Archive.
Biography on Mayor John William Guthrie, pp.242 – 245, including an image of a steel engraving.