The Guthries of Craigie should be familiar to those of you with a connection to Guthrie Family Group 1. They represent GFG1A-Branch A as the project includes a lineal descendant of the 1st Baron Guthrie of Cragie as a Y-DNA participant. Everyone assigned to GFG1A shares a direct paternal line Guthrie ancestor with the Guthries of Craigie.

Long before the Crown created it a Scottish feudal barony, the lands were known by the name Craigie, likely due to the craggy hillside forming the landscape. Craigie is found on a map of Lower Angus and Perthshire by Timothy Pont, c1583-96, east of Dundee labelled as “Kragy”. Much of its lands are now incorporated as part of the expanding city of Dundee, but Craigie, Craigie House, and the farms of Craigie are still found on maps.

The lands of Craigie were originally held by several prominent families living in the vicinity of Dundee leasing it out to tenant farmers during the medieval period. Boundaries of the Barony went through frequent changes as individual territories were exchanged between abbeys, merchants, towns, and nobles. 

The Barony of Craigie is located in Angus. There is another Craigie in South Ayrshire, also associated with Guthrie families. Be cautious when documenting people associated with Craigie to ensure they are from the correct region.

The Kyd family remained in possession of most land within Cragie until the mid 18th century. Patrick Kyd was 1st Baron Kyd of Craigie between 1666-1677, and afterwards James Kid, 2nd Baron Kid of Craigie between 1677-1728.

Over the course of a couple of decades, James Guthrie (1698-1788), a son of merchant James Guthrie and Christian Scott, had been buying up property in Cragie. By early 1728 he was referenced as being “of Craigie” in official documents.

James Guthrie of Hiltoun of Craigie and other lands, is recorded in a crown charter of 12 February 1729 also as James Guthrie 1st Baron of Craigie, 6 Aug 1764. He purchased the lands of Craigie from the Dundee Town Council. By 1770, James Guthrie was the 3rd greatest value landowner in Dundee. (Directory of Landownership in Scotland circa 1770)

James Guthrie is a lineal descendant of the Guthries of that Ilk, although the connection is rather distant.

7xGGP: Alexander Guthrie, 2nd Baron Guthrie, 3rd Kincaldrum, and Margaret Lyon of Glamis
6xGGP: John Guthrie, 1st of Hiltoun, (4th son)
5xGGP: William Guthrie, 2nd of Hiltoun, and Margaret Oglivy (also a Guthrie descendant)
4xGGP: David Guthrie, 3rd of Hiltoun, and Christian Wemyss
3xGGP: Charles Guthrie of St Andrews, and Agnes Brown
2xGGP: Patrick Guthrie of Colliston (goldsmith), and Margaret Raitt
GGP: James Guthrie, Minister in Kinnell and Arbirlot, and Isobel Durie
GP: John Guthrie, Minister of Arbirlot and Dundee, and Isobel Lamb
P: James Guthrie (merchant), and Christian Scott (the earliest Guthrie connection verified by YDNA)

The seat of the Barony was Craigie House, built either by the 1st Baron of Craigie, James Guthrie, or his son.

“The views of the river, and the shipping passing up and down to the great commercial and manufacturing town of Dundee, seen from the finely situated mansion house of Craigie, are extremely beautiful. Craigie House is surrounded by thriving plantations and little clumps of trees, and much well-grown timber. These and the good garden and fine lawn and walks make it a very desirable residence. The house was erected by one of the earlier of the Guthrie proprietors, but, though not in the modern style, it is a good, comfortable dwelling.” (Warden,135)

James Guthrie 1st Baron Guthrie of Craigie:

James Guthrie of Craigie & Miss Eliz. Gairden (Gardyne) were thrice proclaimed in a day being contracted on 21 July and married on 22 July 1733 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland. This couple had 5 daughters: Anne, Christian, Jean, Amelia, and Lillian, and 2 sons: James and David. James Guthrie, born in 1740, inherited the Barony of Cragie upon his father’s death in 1788.

The Matriculation of Arms for James Guthrie of Craigie was documented on 25 September 1772. “James Guthrie of Craigie in the County of Forfar, Esquire, great grandson of _ Guthrie of Hilton brother of John Guthrie Bishop of Murray (Moray) who’s father was a younger son of the Ancient Family of Guthrie of Guthrie in the said county of Forfar.

For the most part, the Barony of Craigie was inherited by the laws of primogeniture father to eldest son until the year 2000 when the Abolition of Federal Tenure etc (Scotland) Act ended feudalism in Scotland.

In 1831, the Guthrie family put their Craigie holdings up for sale, which included Craigie House and 232 acres. However, it was not sold at that time and remained within the Guthrie family.

The Ordnance Survey Name Books for Forfarshire (Angus), 1857-1861, Forfar (Angus) Volume 36,
OS1/14/36/27 lists:
Craigie – Near the north side of Dundee & Arbroath Railway. A one story, slated farm house with substantial offices extensive farm, gardens, & c attached, occupied by Mr Francis Bachelor & property of James Guthrie Esq,

Craigie House – Near the north side of Dundee & Arbroath Railway. A rather elegant two story slated building, with Offices & Garden attached, in possession of John Shiell Esqr. Cragie House, and property of James Guthrie Esqr.

In 1911, Craigie House, an acre and a half of ground, and the Stables of Craigie House were sold. The latter was converted into a dwelling place in 1910, and in 1920 was sold separately as Sterling House. Craigie House became a private nursing home from 1923 to 1949. It has been a hostel for workers of Jute Industries, a retirement home for the Dundee Corporation, and eventually reverted to the Dundee City Council. The house was eventually demolished as it became unsuitable for modern requirements of care. The place where Craigie House once stood is now a home for the elderly, the Craigie House Care Home.

Barons of Craigie
Patrick Kyd, 1st Baron Kyd of Craigie (1666–1677)
James Kyd, 2nd Baron Kyd of Craigie (1677–1728, d.1735)
James Guthrie, 1st Baron Guthrie of Craigie (1728–1788) – a merchant in Stockholm and Dundee
James Guthrie, 2nd Baron Guthrie of Craigie (1788–1830) – a burgess of Dundee (1817)
James Guthrie, 3rd Baron Guthrie of Craigie (1830–1866) – unmarried, left lands to cousin George Makgill
George Makgill, 9th Viscount Oxfuird, 1st Baron Makgill of Craigie (1866–1867) – sold Craigie to J.A.G.
James Alexander Guthrie, 4th Baron Guthrie of Craigie (1867–1873) – J.P. and Deputy Lt for Angus
David Charles Guthrie, 5th Baron Guthrie of Craigie (1873–1918) – J.P. and Member of Parliament
James Alexander Guthrie, 6th Baron Guthrie of Craigie (1918–1932) – Capt. of the 15th Hussars
David Charles Guthrie, 7th Baron Guthrie of Craigie (1932–2003)
Rabbi Robert Owen Thomas, III, 1st Baron Thomas of Craigie (b. 1966)

READING and RESOURCES

BOOK/JOURNAL: Collins, Dennis F (2008) ‘The Barony of Craigie, The Demesne and Manor Farm of Craigie and Craigie House, Dundee.’ Repository: University of Dundee Archive Services

BOOK: Peter, David MacGregor (1856) ‘ The baronage of Angus and Mearns, comprising the genealogy of three hundred and sixty families… being a guide to the tourist and heraldic artist. Edinburgh Oliver & Boyd. Digital Repository: Internet Archive.
p.60
Craigie House, a neat villa, beautifully situated amid finely wooded grounds and gardens, on the sea-coast, on the north of the Broughty Ferry Road, about two miles east of Dundee.

WIKIPEDIA: Baron of Cragie

WEBSITE: Scotland’s Lost Country Houses
177. Craigie House, Dundee/West Ferry, Angus

BOOK: Warden, Alex J. (1884) ‘Angus or Forfarshire, the Land and People, descriptive and historical, Volume IV. Dundee: Charles Alexander & Co. Digital Repository: Electric Scotland.
pp.128-134
The property of Craigie was a large and valuable estate five or six centuries ago, but it was at an early period cut up in to several sections, and these were again sub-divided into smaller portions, which males it impossible to give a correct continuous account of either the sections or the smaller portions into which they were divided, but we will make the account as clear as, with the data at our command, we possibly can. (Followed by information on acquisition and sale of lands.)
pp.134-135
Discussion of the Guthries in Craigie
Also a description of Craigie House:
“The views of the river, and the shipping passing up and down to the great commercial and manufacturing town of Dundee, seen from the finely situated mansion house of Craigie, are extremely beautiful. Craigie House is surrounded by thriving plantations and little clumps of trees, and much well-grown timber. These and the good garden and fine lawn and walks make it a very desirable residence. The house was erected by one of the earlier of the Guthrie proprietors, but, though not in the modern style, it is a good, comfortable dwelling.”