New Jersey

GUTHRIE RESEARCH BY LOCATION

One of the Original 13 Colonies. Originally settled as part of the New Netherland colony and later divided into the proprietary provinces of East Jersey and West Jersey (1676–1702), New Jersey became a single royal colony in 1702. Its strategic location between New York and Philadelphia made it a major theater of the American Revolutionary War, with Washington’s army wintering at Morristown and key battles such as Trenton, Princeton, and Monmouth fought on its soil. County boundaries evolved rapidly in the colonial and early state periods; early East Jersey counties (formed 1683) included Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, and Monmouth, while West Jersey counties (formed 1681–1694) included Burlington, Salem, Gloucester, and Cape May. Subsequent divisions created Hunterdon (1714), Somerset (1688/1714), Morris (1739), Sussex (1753), and others through the 19th century.

General Research Resources

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP CONNECTIONS in NEW JERSEY Several documented Guthrie Family Groups (GFG) have documented ties to New Jersey, spanning colonial arrivals through 19th-century migrations:

  • GFG1A – Branch G (or related VA-origin lines): Descendants of John Wingfield Guthrie lines (e.g., John William Guthrie, b. 1856 VA – d. 1911 NJ, and brother William Guthrie, b. 1862 VA – d. 1919 NJ) who relocated to Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey. John W. Guthrie is buried at Greenwood Cemetery, Mercer County.
  • GFG2A – Branch M: Descendants of Samuel Guthrie (c1830 Scotland) & Catherine Stevenson, who lived in Morris County, New Jersey (Boonton/Pequannock areas) in the 1850s before moving westward. Children born in New Jersey include Mary Catherine (1855), Samuel George (1857), and Anna Augusta (1859).
  • Other 19th-century lines: Irish-origin Guthries such as William (Guilielmus) Guthrie (b. 1837 Tipperary, Ireland) & Margaret Bergen who settled in Newark/Essex County area; Thomas Guthrie (shoemaker, immigrated 1888) noted in 1900 Newark census.

NEW JERSEY STATE ARCHIVES & COLONIAL RECORDS The New Jersey State Archives holds extensive colonial and state records, including proprietary land records (East/West Jersey Proprietors), tax lists, court records, and early probate. Many are microfilmed or digitized via FamilySearch. Guthrie mentions are sparse in published indexes but appear in early settler abstracts.

EARLY SETTLER: SAMUEL GUTHRIE of WOODBRIDGE (1685/86) One of the earliest documented Guthries in New Jersey was Samuel Guthrie (b. Oct 1654 Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland), who arrived in East Jersey circa 1685 as a free emigrant. He resided briefly in Woodbridge, Middlesex County. On 31 December 1685, while “sick at the house of Richard Paull” in Woodbridge, he signed a will leaving his entire estate to David Vilant (or Villant) of Perth Amboy as sole heir and executor. Witnesses were John Allan and John Walkins. Administration was granted to David Vilant on 19 May 1686. Samuel had no known family or kindred in the colony and appears to have died unmarried and without issue shortly thereafter. This record is abstracted in American Guthrie and Allied Families (1924) and East Jersey colonial documents.

PROBATE RECORDS New Jersey probate records (wills, inventories, administrations) from the late 1660s–1900 are held at the State Archives (Secretary of State series pre-1901; Superior Court post-1901). County Surrogates’ offices hold later files. FamilySearch’s New Jersey, Probate Records, 1678-1980 collection contains digitized images from various counties. Published abstracts (e.g., New Jersey Archives series and Index of Wills, Inventories, etc. in the Office of the Secretary of State) cover early Guthries. No large clusters of colonial Guthrie probates appear in statewide indexes, consistent with the scarcity of early family groups. Later 19th/20th-century files (e.g., Mercer, Essex, Morris counties) align with the GFG branches noted above. Researchers should also check county-level surrogates’ records for guardianships and estates not captured in state indexes.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR & MILITARY RECORDS New Jersey’s role in the Revolution was pivotal, and the State Archives maintains compiled service cards, muster rolls, and damage claims (1776–1782). William S. Stryker’s Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War (1872) is the standard printed roster; quick searches yield no prominent Guthrie officers or enlisted men from New Jersey proper (unlike Pennsylvania or other colonies where Guthries served and sometimes marched through NJ). Later militia and War of 1812 records may contain additional entries. Pension files (National Archives/Fold3/FamilySearch) occasionally reference NJ service or residence for Guthries from neighboring states.

LAND RECORDS Colonial land records are among the strongest holdings: East and West Jersey Proprietors’ records, deeds, and surveys are at the State Archives and often indexed by name. Town clerks and county recorders hold post-1780s deeds. USLandRecords or county portals may have 19th-century indexes. Early Guthrie land activity is limited (consistent with the single Samuel Guthrie entry), but 19th-century families in Mercer, Essex, and Morris counties appear in tax and deed records.

NEEDED DATA Additional extractions from New Jersey State Archives (probate, land, tax, militia slips), Family History Library microfilms, or unpublished county surrogates’ files would strengthen this page. Specific targets include:

  • Full images/transcriptions of Samuel Guthrie’s 1685 will and administration papers.
  • Any 1700s–early 1800s Guthrie entries in East/West Jersey proprietary records or county tax lists.
  • 19th-century Mercer/Essex/Morris county probate, marriage, or land records for the documented GFG branches.
  • Y-DNA or autosomal matches linking NJ Guthries to known Scottish/Irish origins.

Contributions, scans, or citations from researchers with access to the Archives, county offices, or physical collections are warmly welcomed—please leave a reply or contact the blog. New Jersey’s rich archival holdings offer high potential for uncovering additional Guthrie connections in this strategically important colony.

Sources & Further Reading All links and abstracts drawn from FamilySearch Wiki, New Jersey State Archives catalog, published colonial abstracts (American Guthrie and Allied Families), and blog-documented GFG lineages. Primary records should always be consulted for verification.