1A-F: William Guthrie (I)
Guthrie Family Group 1A · Branch F · The Next Generation
William Guthrie (I)
1731–1732 · Christ Church Parish, Middlesex County, Virginia
This William was the first of two sons of William Guthrie and Frances Wilbourn to bear their father’s name. Born in September 1731, he died in infancy the following January, shortly before he would have been four months old.
Family at a Glance
William Guthrie
- Parents
- William Guthrie & Frances Wilbourn
- Birth
- 7 September 1731 · Christ Church Parish, Middlesex County, Virginia
- Baptism
- 17 October 1731 · Christ Church Parish
- Death
- 1 January 1731/32 · Middlesex County, Virginia · Just under four months old
- Burial
- Place unknown; the death entry does not identify a burial site.
- Marriage & Descendants
- None; William died in infancy.
The birth and baptism entry names William as the son of William and Frances Guttery. His death entry names him as the son of William Guthery. Read with the calendar convention used in the register, the dates describe a child born in the autumn of 1731 who died the following January.
Family Evidence NotesThe January date and the two sons named William.
The birth year. Printed page 132 places William’s birth on 7 September and baptism on 17 October in the 1731 entries. The surrounding records support 1731, not the 1730 birth year mentioned in an earlier explanation.
The death year. Printed page 188 records his death as 1 January 1731. Under the old calendar year beginning on 25 March, the January following September 1731 still belonged to 1731. The date is therefore displayed here as 1 January 1731/32—1 January 1732 in modern year numbering. The register’s wording does not require a printing-error explanation.
Two different sons. The label “(I)” distinguishes this infant from the younger William, born in 1740. It is a page label, not a recorded suffix. Later marriage, migration, and descendant research associated with the younger William must not be attached to this child.
Burial and cause of death. Neither is supplied by William’s death entry. A parish record of death does not establish a particular cemetery or grave.
Explore the Records
| Record | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Birth7 September 1731 · Printed p. 132 | William, son of William and Frances Guttery, was born on 7 September. His birth and baptism are recorded together among the 1731 entries. |
| Baptism17 October 1731 · Printed p. 132 | The same entry records his baptism on 17 October 1731. |
| Death1 January 1731/32 · Printed p. 188 | William, son of William Guthery, died on 1 January 1731 as printed. The double year preserves that wording while clarifying its correspondence to January 1732 in modern year numbering. |
Source: The Parish Register of Christ Church, Middlesex County, Va., from 1653 to 1812, published by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Virginia (Richmond: Wm. Ellis Jones, 1897), pp. 132 and 188. This is a printed transcription of the parish register. In the linked scan, these are PDF pages 140 and 196.
The Guthrie DNA Project
This William died in infancy and has no descendant line to represent in DNA testing. His place in the family is documented by the parish records. DNA evidence from other Guthrie descendants belongs to their own lines of descent.
The broader Branch F research includes a tested North Carolina Guthrie line matching GFG1A, while the Middlesex family shares Christ Church Parish with Branch B. See the Family Hub for those connections and the continuing research into them.
Most Wanted DocumentsEvidence that could add to William’s brief recorded life.
- A securely identified burial record or memorial. A record linking the infant William to William and Frances could establish his burial place.
- A contemporary family entry. A Bible, letter, or household record could add information beyond the parish dates or preserve a family remembrance of this child.
Remembering William
The parish register preserves William’s name beside those of his parents. Keeping his brief life separate from that of his younger namesake gives each child his own place in the family’s history.
If you have a family entry or burial reference for this infant William, please share its source and the details connecting it to William and Frances’s household.
Researched and curated by Ann Guthrie · Guthrie Genealogy