Guthrie of Hiltoun

Place, Parentage, and the Eassie Connection

The Guthrie of Hiltoun lineage has long been treated as a pivotal cadet branch of the Guthries of Guthrie in Angus (historic Forfarshire). John Guthrie, 1st of Hiltoun, is traditionally placed as a younger son of Sir Alexander Guthrie, 2nd of Guthrie / 3rd of Kincaldrum (d. 1513 at Flodden) and Margaret Lyon. However, surviving records now strongly support an alternative origin: John was the same individual as John Guthrie of Eassie / Esse, descending from an earlier Eassie cadet branch.

This article examines the place, parentage debate, primary documents, and chronological evidence. The new findings from Eassie records significantly strengthen the cadet hypothesis and resolve longstanding timeline difficulties in the traditional pedigree.

Historical Context of Hilton / Hiltoun / Hiltoun of Guthrie

Hilton of Guthrie (often styled Hiltoun) lies on elevated ground overlooking the Lunan Water, within the larger Guthrie barony in Forfarshire. It was never a single large estate but a fragmented holding that included parts of Hilton, Easttown of Guthrie, Langlands, teinds, annualrents, and wadsets. This fragmentation contributed to much of the genealogical confusion surrounding the line.

The Origins Debate:
Traditional Descent vs. Eassie Cadet Branch

The central question is straightforward yet consequential:
Who was John Guthrie of Esse (fl. 1543–1546), the man who became John Guthrie, 1st of Hiltoun?

Two main interpretations exist:

Traditional View (Main Line Descent)
John is presented as the youngest son of Sir Alexander Guthrie, 2nd of Guthrie / 3rd of Kincaldrum (killed at Flodden, 1513) and Margaret Lyon. This makes Hiltoun a direct cadet of the senior Guthrie/Kincaldrum line and the genealogical bridge to the later Guthries of Craigie. Margaret Lyon is also the Guthrie’s gateway ancestor to more distant ties to Robert the Bruce.

Alternative Hypothesis (Eassie Cadet Line)
John Guthrie of Hiltoun was the same man as John Guthrie of Esse/Eassie. He descended from an independent cadet branch already established at Eassie since at least the mid-15th century, likely through William Guthrie of Eassie (hypothesized younger son of Alexander 1st of Kincaldrum) → John of Esse (1454/1490/1493) → Alexander → David Guthrie of Esse (d. by Nov 1544) → John (who acquired Hiltoun in 1545–46 while still styled “of Esse”).

The Compressed Chronology: The Core of the Debate
The strongest evidence favoring the Eassie cadet hypothesis is the severely compressed timeline required by the traditional view.

  • Margaret Lyon’s marriage contract to James Rynd (10 June 1495) creates an extremely tight window. The couple married and produced a son. The husband, James Rynd, died. Margaret remarried to Alexander Guthrie. They produced an heir, David Guthrie, who was old enough by 1513 to fight at Flodden and sire an heir of his own.

  • Lack of a surviving marriage contract between Alexander Guthrie and Margaret Lyon. There is no precise marriage date for this couple. Was this actually Alexander’s first marriage? If so, his children could be older. Was his Margaret Lyon the daughter of 3rd Lord Glamis, or another by the same name?

  • Deaths of Sir Alexander and his eldest son David at Flodden (1513). David was old enough to fight at Flodden and have an heir of his own.

  • John Guthrie of Esse receiving the Hiltoun precept and sasine (1545–46). These documents originated with Alexander Guthrie, 4th of Guthrie, and were not connected with Sir Alexander Guthrie, 2nd of Guthrie/3rd of Kincaldrum who died at the Battle of Flodden over thirty years earlier.

Age Calculations (Illustrative Ranges)
These are conservative estimates based on typical Scottish gentry norms (legal majority ~21; marriage/childbearing ~18–40; Flodden combatants typically 16–50).

Main Line (Traditional View – Kincaldrum/Guthrie)

  • Alexander Guthrie, 1st of Kincaldrum (fl. c.1410–bef.1455): Likely born c.1385–1400 (adult by 1410; father to David in the 1410s–1420s).

  • David Guthrie, 1st of Guthrie / 2nd of Kincaldrum (d.1474): Likely born c.1415–1430 (heir in the 1450s; father to Alexander 2nd).

  • Alexander Guthrie, 2nd of Guthrie / 3rd of Kincaldrum (d.1513 at Flodden): Likely born c.1445–1460 (age ~53–68 at Flodden; father to the traditional John of Hiltoun).

Eassie Cadet Line (Alternative View)

  • John Guthrie of Esse (1454/1490/1493): Likely born c.1420–1435.

  • Alexander Guthrie, his son (1493 witness): Born c.1465–1480.

  • David Guthrie of Esse (d. by Nov 1544): Born c.1485–1510.

  • John Guthrie of Esse / 1st of Hiltoun (fl.1545): Born c.1480–1495 (most plausible range to allow adult inheritance in 1545–46).

The traditional main-line descent requires Alexander 2nd of Guthrie (d.1513) and Margaret Lyon (m.1495) to produce a son old enough to have fathered a child by 1513 — an extremely tight generational window given the documented events of 1495 and 1513. Also consider that John Guthrie has been indicated to be their youngest son, which indicates his birth year would likely have been in the early 1500s.

The speculation about the Eassie Cadet Line resolves this compression while aligning perfectly with the persistent “of Esse” styling and the explicit 1544 father–son succession (David of Esse → John).

Key Documents:

Implications for the Guthrie Lineage

The 1544 precept and immediate 1545–46 Hiltoun grant while still styled “of Esse” strongly favor the Eassie cadet hypothesis. This reframes the Hiltoun/Craigie line as an older offshoot of the Kincaldrum stem rather than a late cadet of the Guthries of Guthrie.

Further archival research may yet provide definitive proof, but the weight of current evidence now tilts clearly toward the Eassie cadet origin.

Guthrie of Hiltoun Generation by Generation

For additional antecedents see the Guthrie of Eassie article. For further descendants and the continuation of the line through the Guthries of Craigie.

GEN 1: John Guthrie, 1st of Hiltoun (fl. 1543–1546)

Spouse: (Unidentified) Ogilvy
John is the pivotal figure who links the documented Eassie line to Hiltoun. He appears as “John Guthrie of Esse” in records from 1543–1544 and received the Hiltoun lands in 1545–1546 while still occasionally styled “of Esse.”

The identity of his wife is uncertain. Her given name is not documented in primary sources. There may be conflation between this John Guthrie and the Colliston line.

He should not be misidentified as the same man as John Guthrie of Colliston whose spouse was Isobel Ogilvy. A 1528 document specifically lists that John’s father as Henry Guthrie, while John Guthrie of Eassie & Hiltoun is documented as the son of David Guthrie of Eassie.

Further, a January 1543/44 remission warrant separately lists both “John Guthre of Esse” and “John Guthre of Colytstoun” indicating there were two Guthrie men of the same given name operating in local political circles at the same time. (NRS SP13/45)

Children:
Traditionally accepted in secondary sources (Warden and subsequent pedigrees):

  • William Guthrie, 2nd of Hiltoun (eldest son and heir to the Hiltoun designation)

No other children are documented in primary sources.

The Hiltoun / Craigie Bridge

John Guthrie, 1st of Hiltoun (alias John Guthrie of Esse), is the direct common ancestor of the later and more prominent Guthries of Craigie. The original Hiltoun estate became heavily fragmented through tacks, wadsets, and partial alienations during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In subsequent generations, a branch (or the main surviving line) of the Hiltoun family became associated with the lands of Craigie, near Montrose. By the mid-17th century the family was primarily styled as “Guthries of Craigie,” which emerged as the enduring territorial designation for this cadet line. Thus, John 1st of Hiltoun serves as the essential bridge connecting the mid-15th-century Eassie cadet roots through Hiltoun to the later Craigie branch in Angus.

GEN 2: William Guthrie, 2nd of Hiltoun

Spouse: Margaret Ogilvy
William succeeded his father and continued the family’s interests in the Hiltoun lands during the later 16th century. He is traditionally numbered as 2nd of Hiltoun and said to have married Margaret Ogilvy. However, this numbering and the identification of his wife derive from secondary sources, primarily Alex J. Warden’s Angus or Forfarshire. No contemporary charter, sasine, or other primary record has yet been identified that explicitly styles him as “of Hiltoun” or names his wife.

Children Traditionally accepted: son David Guthrie (3rd of Hiltoun).
No other children are documented in primary sources.

GEN 3: David Guthrie, 3rd of Hiltoun

Spouse: Christian Wemyss
David held the designation of Hiltoun in the late 16th century. The family’s holdings continued to be divided among heirs and subject to financial arrangements (tacks and wadsets) typical of the period.

Traditionally accepted in secondary sources (Warden and subsequent pedigrees):

  • John Guthrie, 4th of Hiltoun (eldest son and heir)
  • Charles Guthrie of St Andrews (younger son; ancestor of John Guthrie, Bishop of Moray, and other clerical branches)

No other children are documented in primary records.

GEN 4: John Guthrie, 4th of Hiltoun

Spouse: Agnes Ochterlony
John Guthrie is traditionally identified in secondary sources as 4th of Hiltoun and husband of Agnes Ochterlony (also spelled Auchterlony). They are said to be the parents of Patrick Guthrie, later styled 5th of Hiltoun. However, a primary document dated 5 June 1568 (NLS Saltoun Papers, Ch.14171) records a tack of the teinds of Hilton of Guthrie granted to Thomas Guthrie, elder, of Hilton and his wife Agnes Auchterlony. Agnes is later described as the widow of John Guthrie of Hiltoun who subsequently remarried John Oliphant. This discrepancy between the primary record (Thomas) and traditional secondary pedigrees (John) remains unresolved and complicates the precise identification and numbering of the 4th laird.

Children Traditionally accepted: son Patrick Guthrie (5th of Hiltoun).
No other children are documented in primary sources.

GEN 5: Patrick Guthrie, 5th of Hiltoun (fl. late 16th – early 17th century)

Patrick is the last commonly referenced figure styled as of Hiltoun. By this period the original Hiltoun holding had been heavily subdivided and partially alienated. It is unclear whether Patrick held any formal heritable title. The designation “of Hiltoun” gradually faded as the family’s main identity shifted.

No specific children are proven by contemporary primary records for the Hiltoun designation.

1580s–1604: Fragmentation and Lindsay Transition

By the 1580s, the Hiltoun/Hilton records show multiple legal interests rather than a clean laird-to-heir succession.

By the late 16th century, the original Hiltoun holding continued to be subdivided and partially alienated.

The NLS catalogue’s collection description states that the later documents concern Guthrie of Guthrie and the lands of Hilton and Langlands of Guthrie, “which were acquired by Lindsay of Balgays in 1603.” 

This evidence does not support a simple statement that “John Guthrie, 4th of Hiltoun, sold Hiltoun to Sir Walter Lindsay in 1603.” The better interpretation is that Hilton/Hiltoun and Langlands passed into the Lindsay of Balgavies orbit through a series of renunciations, resignations, contracts, wadsets, and decreets.

Why Fragmentation Matters for Genealogy

The Hiltoun estate was not merely a genealogical label. It was a legal and economic landscape with multiple interests.

This matters because a person might be called of Hilton or involved with Hilton because he held:

  • the superiority;
  • a tack of teinds;
  • a prebendary right;
  • a wadset;
  • an annualrent;
  • a half or other fractional share;
  • a liferent or marital right;
  • a cadet possession;
  • or a temporary legal interest.

Therefore, not every person associated with Hilton was necessarily the genealogical heir of Hiltoun.

This may explain why later pedigrees are neat, while the records are messy.

Research Questions Still to Be Answered

The next stage of research should focus on original documents, especially:

  1. NLS Ch.14167 — Precept of clare constat, 15 Oct 1545.
    Does it name John Guthrie of Hilton as heir of a specific deceased person?
  2. NLS Ch.14168 — Charter to John Guthrie of Esse, 10 May 1546.
    Does it identify John by kinship, such as son, brother, kinsman, or heir?
  3. NLS Ch.14169 — Sasine to John Guthrie of Esse, 10 May 1546.
    Does the full text clarify the lands, witnesses, or relationships?
  4. The 1543 William/David reference.
    What document places William Guthrie, 2nd of Hiltoun, or David Guthrie, 3rd of Hiltoun, in 1543?
  5. The 1568 tack to Thomas Guthrie and Agnes Auchterlony.
    Is Thomas separate from John Guthrie, 4th of Hiltoun?
  6. The 1588 Agnes Ochterlony / John Oliphant complaint.
    Does it name her Guthrie children, including Patrick?
  7. The Margaret Lyon / James Rynd marriage contract.
    Does it prove the same Margaret Lyon later called relict of Alexander Guthrie?
  8. Early Essy/Eassie references.
    Can the John, David, and Alexander Guthries of Essy be placed into a continuous cadet line?

Working Conclusion

The Guthrie of Hiltoun branch should not be treated as a simple one-line pedigree without reference to place, law, and chronology.

The accepted version places John Guthrie, 1st of Hiltoun, as a son of Sir Alexander Guthrie and Margaret Lyon, making Hiltoun the genealogical bridge from the Guthries of Guthrie to the later Guthries of Craigie. That version remains plausible and is widely repeated.

However, the records also support a serious alternative: that John Guthrie of Hiltoun may have emerged from an older Guthrie of Eassie / Essy / Esse cadet line, possibly connected to William Guthrie of Eassie, son of Alexander Guthrie, 1st of Kincaldrum. The 1546 designation “John Guthrie of Esse” should be treated as meaningful, not incidental.

The most responsible current position is:

John Guthrie of Esse / 1st of Hiltoun was almost certainly a close Guthrie cadet operating within the Guthrie-Kincaldrum-Hiltoun land network. He may have been a younger son of Sir Alexander Guthrie, but his “of Esse” designation leaves open the possibility that he descended from an older Guthrie of Eassie line. Until the full 1545–1546 deeds are examined, both models should remain under consideration.

Primary / Archival Catalogue Sources

  1. DOCUMENT: Records of the Guthrie Family of Guthrie, Angus. National Library of Scotland, Ref: GD188.
  2. DOCUMENT: Precept of clare constat by Alexander Guthrie of Guthrie to John Guthrie of Hilton, of Guthrie, 15 October 1545. Catalogue Entry. National Library of Scotland, Ref: Ch.14167
    Note: A ‘precept of clare constat’ is a deed by which a superior recognizes the title of the heir of a deceased vassal or tenant to enter upon the superior’s land. (Merriam-Webster)
  3. National Library of Scotland, Saltoun Papers, Ch.14168, Charter by Alexander Guthrie, son of Andrew Guthrie of Guthrie, to John Guthrie of Esse of parts of Hilton and Easttown of Guthrie., 10 May 1546.
  4. National Library of Scotland, Saltoun Papers, Ch.14169, Instrument of sasine to John Guthrie of Esse of parts of Hilton and Easttown of Guthrie, 10 May 1546. 
  5. National Library of Scotland, Saltoun Papers, Ch.14177, Instrument of renunciation by James Betoun of Melgo and Lutres Betoun his wife of an annualrent from Hilton of Guthrie, 11 April 1580. 
  6. National Library of Scotland, Saltoun Papers, Ch.14185, Instrument of resignation by Alexander Guthrie of Guthrie in favour of Mr Walter Lindsay of Kemphill, of Hilton of Guthrie and superiority of Langlands, 15 November 1583. 
  7. National Library of Scotland, Saltoun Papers, Ch.14194, Charge at instance of Mr Patrick Lindsay… prebendary of Hilton and Langlands, 30 November 1588. 
  8. National Library of Scotland, Saltoun Papers, Legal Instruments. Instrument of renunciation by James Wishart… of half of Hilton of Guthrie, 5 May 1589. 
  9. National Library of Scotland, Saltoun Papers, Ch.14196, Assignation by Alexander Wishart of Carnbege and James Wishart his son to Gabriel Guthrie… of the wadset of Hilton of Guthrie, 10 March 1589/90. 
  10. National Library of Scotland, Saltoun Papers, Ch.14280, Contract between Sir Walter Lindsay of Balgavies and David Lindsay, his son, and Alexander Guthrie of Guthrie and Alexander Guthrie, his son, concerning Hilton and Langlands, 19 July 1603. 
  11. National Library of Scotland, Saltoun Papers, Ch.14288, Contract between David Lindsay of Balgays and David Guthrie, son of David Guthrie of Hilton, 8 February 1614. 
  12. National Library of Scotland, Saltoun Papers, Ch.14153–14211, collection description noting later documents concerning Guthrie of Guthrie and the lands of Hilton and Langlands, acquired by Lindsay of Balgays in 1603. 
  13. Scotlands People. National Records of Scotland, 1779, John Guthrie of Guthrie (Coats of Arms Volume 1 Page No. 519Z, page 1 of 1).
    • This is the matriculation of arms of John Guthrie of Guthrie Chief of that ancient surname eldest son an heir of John Guthrie of Guthrie by Joan daughter of the Reverend Mr James Hodge of Bathkennar, Minister of the Gospel.
      • Per the numbering system, this document applies to John Guthrie, 16th of Guthrie, who was the product of multiple Guthrie lines. His 3xGGF was John Guthrie, Bishop of Moray, a direct paternal line descendant of John Guthrie of Eassie & Hiltoun. The bishop purchased the lands and barony of Guthrie making him 11th of Guthrie. His daughter Bathiah Guthrie was married to her cousin Francis Guthrie 3rd of Gagie, whose descent goes through the Kincaldrum to Guthrie to Gagie line.
      • The relevance of this 1779 document is that it lists the genealogy of John Guthrie, 16th of Guthrie, including the Guthrie-Lyon connection. This document names Margaret Lyon as the wife of Sir Alexander Guthrie, although it mistakenly identified her father as the 5th Lord Glammis instead of the 3rd. Excerpt: “Andrew was son and heir of David Guthrie apparent heir of Guthrie who was killed with his Father and three uncles by his mother together with his cousin Sir Thomas Maule of Panmure at the Battle of Floundoun (Flodden) the ninth of September 1513 and (blank) eldest daughter of Forquhard MacIntosh of MacIntosh by Giles second daughter of High second Lord Lovet which David was son and apparent heir of Sir Alexander Guthrie of Guthrie and Margaret daughter of John fifth Lord Glammis which Sir Alexander was so and heir of Sir David Guthrie of Guthrie Chief of his name by Janet daughter of Sir Archibald Dundas of Dundas Knight…. etc, etc.”

Genealogical / Compiled Sources

14. Stirnet, Guthrie1, Guthrie of Guthrie, Kincaldrum, Hiltoun, St Andrews, and Craigie pedigree. 

15. Guthrie Genealogy, Guthrie of Hiltoun, current article and source list, including Hiltoun spelling chart, 1545–1546 NLS references, and Burke 19th edition note. 

14. Burke’s Landed Gentry of Great Britain, 19th ed., Vol. 1, The Kingdom in Scotland, ISBN 0-9711966-0-5. The edition reportedly places John Guthrie of Hiltoun as fourth son of Sir David Guthrie, a placement that conflicts with other pedigree versions and creates chronological difficulty.

15. Earlier Burke / later pedigree traditions, placing John Guthrie, 1st of Hiltoun, as a son of Sir Alexander Guthrie and Margaret Lyon, rather than Sir David Guthrie.

16. WEBSITE: The Peerage – John Guthrie, 1st of Hilton

17. WIKITREE: John Guthrie 1st aka of Hiltoun

18. WEBSITE: National Library of Scotland – Search Results “Guthrie” and “Hilton”

19. BOOK: History and Traditions of the Land of the Lindsays in Angus
p.172 “It may be noticed that Sir Walter’s landed interest
was not confined to the lands of Balgavies, or even to the
barony, in which were included the Hilton of Guthrie, Lang-
lands, and Innerdovat ; but embraced Little Markhouse, and the
Haughs, and Cunningair, and other parts of Finhaven, and also
Carlungie and Balhungie in the barony of Downie, as well as the
barony of Inverarity and the patronage of the church.* In all
these he was succeeded by his son David, who died in 1615,
from whose son and successor, Walter, the lands passed to other
hands in 1630, from which period the Lindsays entirely ceased
to have any connection with Balgavies.
It is likely that Sir Walter acquired Balgavies about 1571,
as in that year he had a charter from his father of the adjoining
property of Kempshill, in the parish of Guthrie ; but this pro-
perty is not to be confounded with the Kemp or Camp Castle,
which tradition speaks of as having topt the neighbouring hill of
Turin, which is reported to have come to the Lindsays by their
taking forcible possession of it from the owner, who is said to
have borne the name of Kemp.f This story at best is confused
and improbable, and may have arisen from the fact of Sir
Walter having been possessor of Balgavies and Kemphill at the
same time. Perhaps, however, although all record has been lost,
both Balgavies and Kemphill had been places of consideration
in old times, and had something to do with the disastrous engage-
ment which occurred here betwixt the Picts and Scots, or during
the invasion of the Danes at a later period. At least, the Gaelic
origin of the names would imply something of this sort, for Bal-
gaise means ” the town of bravery and valour,” and the name of
Kemp is associated with that of a Northern deity, remarkable for
gigantic stature, and for prowess and valour.”