Mississippi

GUTHRIE RESEARCH BY LOCATION

Mississippi – Guthrie Genealogy

Mississippi

Mississippi Territory was organized in 1798 from lands ceded by Spain and Native American tribes. It achieved statehood on December 10, 1817, as the 20th state of the Union. Early settlement concentrated in the Natchez District along the Mississippi River, with rapid expansion following the Chickasaw and Choctaw land cessions in the 1830s. Many Guthrie families migrated into the state from South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina during the antebellum period, drawn by cotton farming opportunities in the northern and central counties.

MISSISSIPPI ONLINE GENEALOGY RECORDS https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Mississippi_Online_Genealogy_Records

MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY (MDAH) https://www.mdah.ms.gov/genealogy (The William F. Winter Archives and History Building in Jackson holds microfilmed county records, court cases, military files, and vital records. Many originals remain at county courthouses.)

LIST of MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES, FORMATION DATES, and MAPS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_counties_in_Mississippi (See also the FamilySearch wiki page on Mississippi County Creation Dates and Parent Counties for detailed parent-county charts.)

Early Mississippi County Formations (selected pre-1850 examples)

  • 1799: Adams (Natchez District), Jefferson (originally Pickering)
  • 1802: Claiborne
  • 1809: Amite (from Wilkinson), Franklin (from Adams)
  • 1811: Marion, Pike
  • 1812: Hancock, Jackson (from Mobile District/West Florida claims)
  • 1817–1820s: Rapid growth after statehood and Chickasaw Cession (e.g., Monroe 1821, Lowndes 1830, Lafayette 1836, Pontotoc 1836)
  • 1830s–1840s: Many central and northern counties carved from Choctaw/Chickasaw lands (e.g., Calhoun 1852 from Lafayette/Yalobusha, Attala 1833)

Later counties (post-1850) often resulted from further subdivisions or courthouse-loss adjustments.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP CONNECTIONS in MISSISSIPPI

Multiple branches of Guthrie Family Group 5 (GFG5) have documented ties to Mississippi, with the strongest concentration in Branch C. These lines trace back to Shadrach Guthry (c.1772 SC – c.1850 MS) and Ruah Ann Roberts. Descendants appear in Lafayette, Pontotoc, Calhoun, and surrounding counties by the 1830s–1850s, often as farmers following Chickasaw land openings.

Key examples include:

  • Shadrach Guthry / Guthry (1772 SC – 1850 MS) and family — migrated through Alabama and settled in Lafayette County.
  • Ransom Johnson Guthrie (1849 Lafayette Co., MS – 1930 LA) — son of Shadrach; teacher/farmer; married first Louissa D. Varner (~1868 MS), second Sarah Jane Lavina Martin (1898 MS).
  • Allen Guthrie (GFG5-C) — received U.S. General Land Office patent in Pontotoc (Chickasaw cession), Township 11-S, Range 1E, Section 19, issued 6 Oct 1840.
  • Mary Rebecca Guthrie (c.1844 MS) — married William Riley Segler 4 Mar 1868 in Pontotoc, MS.
  • Additional GFG5 lines and ungrouped Guthries appear in Neshoba, Perry, Jasper, and Hancock counties (often spelled Guttery/Guthry/Guthery in early records).

Other GFGs have transient or later Mississippi connections (e.g., brief 1844 residence by John Guttery family of GFG2A/2E while moving from Alabama to Tennessee). DNA project results and compiled genealogies continue to refine these placements.

SOURCE: MISSISSIPPI LAND RECORDS (General Land Office / Chickasaw Cession) Early federal land patents document Guthrie settlers post-1830s. Example:

  • Allen Guthry — Pontotoc land patent, 1840 (Chickasaw cession). County deed books (many microfilmed at MDAH) and chancery court abstracts are essential, especially in fire-prone counties like Calhoun (courthouse burned 1922; records begin 1922, with some abstracts from 1852).

SOURCE: MISSISSIPPI MARRIAGE RECORDS FamilySearch collections (1800–1911 statewide index and county-level images) and MDAH microfilm contain Guthrie/Guttery entries. Selected examples:

  • Mary Rebecca Guthrie m. William Riley Segler — 4 Mar 1868, Pontotoc Co.
  • Ransom J. Guthrie m. Louissa D. Varner — ~1868, Mississippi (county unspecified in some trees; likely Lafayette/Pontotoc area).
  • Ransom J. Guthrie m. Sarah Jane Lavina Martin — 10 Feb 1898, Mississippi.
  • Additional 19th-century marriages appear in Perry, Neshoba, and Lafayette counties (search FamilySearch “Mississippi, County Marriages, 1818–1979”).

SOURCE: MISSISSIPPI PROBATE, ESTATE & GUARDIANSHIP RECORDS MDAH holds microfilmed probate packets, wills, and estate files. Post-1817 county chancery records often survive better than colonial-era equivalents in other states. Guthrie estates appear in northern counties; cross-reference with FamilySearch “Mississippi Probate Records” collections.

SOURCE: CENSUS & TAX RECORDS

  • 1820–1850 U.S. Census enumerations in Lafayette, Pontotoc, and Jasper counties show GFG5 households (often spelled Guthry/Guttery).
  • State tax rolls and 1830s Chickasaw cession censuses provide pre-federal snapshots.
  • 1860 Jasper Co. example: Mickey Guthrie listed in compiled substitutes.

SOURCE: MILITARY & CIVIL WAR RECORDS Mississippi Guthries served in the War of 1812 (index entries for Shadrach Guthry/Guthry), Mexican War, and Confederate forces. MDAH holds Compiled Service Records; many digitized on FamilySearch. Post-war pension files and 1890 veterans schedules often list Mississippi residents.

RESEARCH TIPS & NEEDED DATA

  • Start with MDAH microfilm for county-level marriage, probate, deed, and tax records—many courthouses lost originals to fire or war.
  • Chickasaw/Choctaw cession land patents (1830s) are key for northern MS Guthries.
  • Watch spelling variants: Guthrie, Guthry, Guttery, Guthery, Guthrey.
  • If you have access to unpublished MDAH court cases, local historical society books, or physical probate packets not yet online, please share Guthrie entries!
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries or Family History Centers offer free access to many subscription databases.

RELATED BLOG POSTS

Call to Action If you have Mississippi Guthrie data from local courthouses, family Bibles, or unpublished sources, or if you can check specific MDAH microfilm rolls for additional GFG5 entries, please comment below or contact the blog. New DNA testers and scanned documents continue to expand our understanding of Mississippi Guthrie lines.

Last updated: March 2026. This page will be expanded as new records and contributions become available.