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GUTHRIE

  • 989 members

About us

MEMBERSHIP & RECRUITMENT:
Guthrie DNA Project membership continues to grow. We encourage everyone to recruit your Guthrie genealogy contacts to participate in DNA testing. We also ask welcome Guthrie cousins living around the globe to joining the project.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUPS:
There are currently 17 genetically unique Guthrie Family Groups identified by Y-DNA testing.

Placement into a group is made by the project administrators based on matching genetic results provided by Family Tree DNA (FTDNA). Each group descends from a common Guthrie ancestor. They are also not genetically related to the other groups. 

Group size varies depending on the number of genetic matches. Our smallest group has only 2 matches. Our largest has 20 and is still growing.

Two of the main Guthrie Family Groups have a sub-group. These share the same historical ancestry or paper trail, but have been identified as being genetically different. These situations might result from incorrect research, paternal events or adoptions.

There is also a list of members who do not match any of the established Guthrie Family Groups. One reason for this is simply that there are no other participants who share their particular ancestral Guthrie line. Join! Your genetic cousin could be waiting for your help! 

MEMBERS of INDIVIDUAL FAMILY GROUPS are ENCOURAGED to COLLABORATE on ANCESTRAL RESEARCH
GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 1A: GUTHRIES of CRAIGIE / MIDDLESEX VA / WORCESTER MD
GFG1A's participants include one VIP who traces his direct ancestral line to the 1st Baron Guthrie of Craigie. This ancestor is one branch of what can be termed the Historical Guthrie Lineage that includes the Guthries of Guthrie and the paper trail leading back to the 1400s. The earliest couple currently proven as a genetic match to GFG1 is that of James Guthrie (merchant) 20 Apr 1669 Dundee - 1710 Dundee, Angus, Scotland and Christian Scott. These are the most recent common ancestors of two Y-DNA participants. The majority of other genetic matches include the Middlesex VA descendants of John Guthrie and Elizabeth Baskett.
Recommendation:  There are many error-filled family trees that have connected their ancestors to GFG1A. Ask for help verifying your family line.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 1B: VIRGINIA/KENTUCKY
The paper trail of traditional research leads its descendants back to the same ancestors of the Middlesex Group. However, DNA has revealed that a different bloodline exists for this particular branch. Most common surname matches are with the Pyle/Pile name.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 2A: 
GFG2A is our largest group of participants. They represent a very extensive Guthrie tree that has no less than 13 distinct Colonial American branches stretching back to early PA, CT, DE, and MD. The search for their ancestors points to immigration from Northern Ireland, and prior to that from Scotland. Origin stories tie them to the Covenanters and to the Guthries of Pitforthie. Famous descendants include Dr Samuel Guthrie (discoverer of chloroform), and Winston Churchill. 

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 3A: 
GFG3A has two very distinct branches. One in America descending from their immigrant ancestor, Francis Guthrie of Colerain Twp, PA whose sons and their descendants took the family line into Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and beyond. The other major branch is in New Zealand. Research on the NZ branch takes their ancestral line back to Ayrshire. 

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 4: 
The majority of matches to the GFG4 genetic profile descend from Thomas Guthery and Sarah Oakes of Cumberland and King William Counties, Virginia. 

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 5: 
The earliest ancestors within the multi-line GFG5 family are William Guthrie 1722VA-1798KY and Eleanor Harris Abbott, but there are multiple related lineages that suggest earlier ancestors may be found within America. Autosomal DNA results suggest certain lineages may belong to GFG5, but have not provided the conclusive evidence of a Y-DNA test.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 6: 
GFG6 has multiple lineages with connections to Scotland, Ireland, and England. One of its major American lineages traces their ancestry back to William Guthrie who immigrated from Ireland to Delaware in the 1700s, but there is evidence that this family group has been around for a long time.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 7: 
GFG7 has three major American lineages: Daniel Guthrie/Jane Flinn, Adam Guthrie/Mary Anderson, William Guthery/Elizabeth Copeland, which are most likely more distantly connected pre-immigration. There is also one Scottish-Australian lineage with a genetic match: John Guthrie/Betty (MNU).

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 8: 
GFG8 consist of several descendants of Thomas Guthrie 1711VA-1786VA and Mary Cason, plus one participant who is probably a descendant of that couple. Early descendants lived in the Halifax County, Virginia area. They continue to search for their common ancestor.

GFG8A is a subgroup formed by Group 8's genetic matches not of the Guthrie surname. These are Carter/McCarter/Vaughan/Kelly. GFG8 is most likely a genetic mismatch to its unidentified historical Guthrie family. Biologically, they match the original Y-DNA of GFG8A. 

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 9: 
We need more Y-DNA representation among the family of Thomas Guthrie 1732SCT-1797SC and Jean Duncan. For now, there appears to be a genetic mismatch to any other Guthrie Family Group, but not enough participation to confirm that the results are representative of that whole family or if it was a more recent paternal event or adoption that caused the mismatch.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 10: EAST TENNESSEE
These participants descend from Andrew Guthrie c1801-1867 & Isabella Rader of East Tennessee. There is a known adoption in Andrew's case, so although his surname is Guthrie he does not match match that family's Y-DNA. There is one participant of the Perry surname who chose to join the group due to his matching Y-DNA.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 11: BALLEW/BALLOU
GFG11 members descend primarily from George Guthery 1769VA-1855IN and Mary Young. They do not match any other GFG and their most common surname matches are that of the Ballew/Ballou surname. This suggests a genetic break in the Guthrie line through a paternal event sired by a Ballew/Ballou male or adoption of a Ballew/Ballou child into the Guthrie family. Research challenges for this Guthrie line include identifying the historical Guthrie lineage to which they belong, as well as the likely generation the paternal event or adoption occurred.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 12: BENBOW
GFG12 participants descend from Robert Guthrie & Jean McGibney, and William Guthrie & Margaret Japp. Haplogroup I2a. Their most common surname match is Benbow making it likely that a paternal event or adoption occurred at some point in this Guthrie line's history.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 13: ANTRIM NORTHERN IRELAND
Participants matching this genetic group descend from James Guthrie 1762 Antrim - 1839 NY & Jane Smith, Robert Guthrie 1773 NC - 1856 TN & Mary Jane Norwood, and Edwin Guthrie 1808SC-1875AL & Mary Elizabeth Cagle. 

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 14: JOYCE
Descendants of Richard Guthrie 1780-1851 & Mary Van Scoyoc, William Guthrie 1803NY-1853NY & Susan Wright, and John N Guthrie b1822OH & Nancy Duncan are genetic matches to men of the JOYCE surname making it likely that a paternal event or adoption occurred at some point in this Guthrie line's history.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 15: ADAMS COUNTY, OHIO
There are currently 2 participants matching this genetic group. Haplogroup I-M253. Descendants of Joseph Guthrie & Unknown Spouse and William Guthrie & Katy Boyles. Both couples from Liberty, Adams County, OH.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 16: DUNBARTON, SCOTLAND 
Lineages from Australia and Canada trace their Robert Guthrie 1776 Dunbartonshire, Scotland – 1827 Lanarkshire, Scotland & Janet Andrew.

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP 17: MENMUIR & CORTACY, ANGUS, SCOTLAND
Lineages from Menmuir & Cortachy in Angus, Scotland theorized to descend from David Guthrie and Janet Stewart in Cookston and Balbirnie Mill. This includes the family of the Very Reverend Thomas Guthrie FRSE DD from Brechin.

UNGROUPED MEMBERS
Participants who do not genetically match the above Guthrie Family Groups fall into one of three categories: 

1) GUTHRIES WITHOUT GENETIC MATCHES: POOR PARTICIPATION. These are men of the Guthrie surname, and potentially with established Guthrie lineages, who do not have a genetic match with any of the Guthrie Family Groups. This might be related to poor participation from other descendants of their family line.


Recommendation: recruit cousins from amongst the descendants of your furthest proven ancestor. It is preferable to include a male Guthrie cousin from each of your furthest known ancestor's male offspring. EX: If your gggg-grandfather had 3 sons, Robert, James, and John, and you descend from John, try to recruit a male Guthrie who descends from Robert and/or James. If you can only find another descendant of John, that's still okay, but try to find one that isn't a really close cousin.

2) GUTHRIES WITHOUT GENETIC MATCHES: PATERNAL EVENTS/ADOPTIONS. These are men of the Guthrie surname who seem to have a lot of genetic matches with people of a completely different surname, yet don't seem to match any of the other Guthrie groups. If you don't match the Guthrie Family Group you suspect your ancestral line belongs, then you might be dealing with a paternal event or an adoption at some point in your ancestral line. Keep in mind that your Y-DNA is handed down father to son generation after generation. The 'switch' in DNA might have taken place in recent history or much, much further back on your family lineage.

If you suspect that the difference in DNA occurred recently consider discussing options with your family before pursuing further testing options.
Should you decide to proceed with narrowing down the timeframe, try to recruit Guthrie males with whom you share a common ancestor at a different generational step along your paternal tree. Start with the generations closest to you and work backward. EX: 1st: Your father. 2nd: Your father's brother; 3rd: Your paternal grandfather; 4th: Your paternal great-grandfather, or his other son (your grand-uncle), or his other Guthrie grandsons/great-grandsons. 5th: Etc.

3) MEN WITH OTHER SURNAMES. Participants who do not have Guthrie as a surname join the Guthrie Surname Project if they know or suspect that they are likely to have Guthrie DNA. Remember that Y-DNA (the kind used for this project) is passed down only from father to son. So if your great-great-grandmother was a Guthrie, participation in this project will not help you identify Guthrie cousins. Men whose surnames are not Guthrie will be placed with a Guthrie group if the DNA matches. Men whose surnames are not Guthrie who do not match a Guthrie group will remain in the Ungrouped area, most likely because you do not have Guthrie DNA. Should future participants match the individual's DNA, a new Guthrie group would be formed.

4) POTENTIAL BUT UNCONFIRMED MATCHES. In some cases it appears that two individuals might be a match, but one or both of them has tested at only 12 markers. At the initial testing stage of 12-markers, Guthrie DNA has been found to be quite homogeneous. Most of us share ancient origins in the R1a or R1b Haplogroup. These are frequently reflected in exact or very close 12-marker matches, yet testing at the current standard of 37 or 67 markers easily allows for differentiation of the various Guthrie bloodlines. Please upgrade your Y-DNA test to a minimum of 37 markers.

PUBLIC Y-DNA RESULTS:
Basic results are found on the Guthrie DNA Project's Y-DNA Colorized Report.

Members have access to more detailed information on their private password protected FTDNA Results Page, which includes a list of genetic markers, genetic matches and estimated Genetic Distances, tools for re-calculating Genetic Distance based upon known ancestry, contact information for their genetic matches, and automated notifications of new matches. 

FAMILY FINDER / AUTOSOMAL DNA RESULTS:

Due to the nature of your Autosomal DNA results (Family Finder Test), there is no Public Chart or Graph. Contact a group administrator if you have specific questions about your GUTHRIE matches. You will receive a report with an analysis of those matches and their associated Guthrie Family Group origins when your results are reported.

Updated: 28 Nov 2022 / For Ongoing Updates and News Subscribe to the Guthrie Genealogy: Guthrie Ancestry and Genetic Genealogy website.