Hello. I am descended from Adam Guthrie and his wife, Mary Anderson. Adam and Mary lived in southwest Virginia (Augusta and Fincastle counties), east Tennessee (Sullivan and Sevier counties) and Cumberland County, Kentucky (now Clinton County, Kentucky). I am presently searching for the names of the parents of Adam Guthrie. This website is an attempt to share with others what I've learned about my Guthrie family history in my many years of research. I hope my information will be helpful to others in their search for their ancestors. If you have any questions concerning my Guthrie family information, please feel free to contact me. Thanks.
Floyd L. Owsley
(423) 443-0381
EMAIL: floydowsley@comcast.net
SOME HISTORICAL NOTES
(CONCERNING THE FAMILY OF ADAM GUTHRIE AND MARY ANDERSON)
It is believed Adam Guthrie was born between 1740 and 1745. Unfortunately, nothing is known about his childhood. Some descendants claim he was born in Ireland, but no proof has been found to verify this claim. Throughout his lifetime, Adam's name was spelled Guthrie, Guthry, Guthery and Guthrey.
Adam Guthrie married Mary Anderson, daughter of George Anderson and his wife, Elizabeth, about 1770. The marriage probably occurred in or near Augusta County, Virginia. In 1784, George Anderson's will was recorded in Augusta County, Virginia. In his will, he names his son-in-law Adam Guthery. George Anderson was an early settler of Augusta County, Virginia, and owned 411 acres of land located on both sides of the Middle River.
Adam Guthrie (Guthery) was a very early settler in what is now the State of Tennessee, having moved there by 1773. Adam and his family, along with the families of his brother-in-law's Gilbert Christian and John Anderson, were living in a temporary settlement located on the waters of Reedy Creek (Reedy Creek Settlement) seven or eight miles from the Holston River. In the early 1770's, this part of what is now Sullivan County, Tennessee, was considered Fincastle County, Virginia.
On March 3, 1773, a lawsuit was filed by James English against Adam Guthrie (Guthery) in Fincastle County, Virginia (recorded in County Court Order Book No. 1). The suit being agreed, the case dismissed. On May 3, 1774, a subsequent lawsuit was filed by James Inglis against Adam Guthry, on attachment (recorded in County Court Order Book No. 2). Isaac Riddle and George Armstrong entered themselves as sureties for the defendant. Robert Topp not appearing as garnishee, attachment ordered against him.
NOTE: Fincastle County, Virginia, was discontinued in 1777. At that time Fincastle was divided to form Montgomery and Washington counties in Virginia, Washington District, North Carolina (the part of Washington County, North Carolina, which is now Sullivan County, Tennessee), and Kentucky County (now most of Kentucky State).
By July of 1776, Adam and his family were living at the settlement at Reedy Creek (near Long Island), which was founded by his brother-in-law Gilbert Christian. Proof can be found in the 1842 letters written by George Christian (son of Gilbert Christian) to historian Lyman C. Draper. These letters were published in the book "The Kings Mountain Men – The Story of the Battle with Sketches of the American Soldiers Who Took Part" – by Katherine Keogh White.
Adam's name can be found in North Carolina warrants in the territory that would later become Tennessee - as recorded in "Tennessee Land Entries: Washington County, 1778-1796, Vol. 1-3" by Dr. A. B. Pruitt, 1997:
Dr. Pruitt identified grant file #1789 in Sullivan County whereby on October 2, 1779 Henry Simpson acquired 100 acres on waters of Reedy Creek adjoining Col. Pendleton and "Adam Guthery" property.
Dr. Pruitt further notes grant file #1827 in Sullivan County whereby on October 6, 1779 "Adam Guthery", for William Tatham, acquires 500 acres adjoining Anderson's Bottom and Nathan Pages property, includes said Guthery's improvement where he lives and on both sides of Reedy Creek.
And finally Dr. Pruitt notes grant file #1829 in Sullivan County whereby on October 6, 1779 "Adam Guthery", for George Anderson a minor orphan of John Anderson son of "George deceased", acquired 200 acres on Reedy Creek adjoining Nathan Page and John Kitt properties on both sides of the creek and includes said Anderson's improvement.
It is clear Adam Guthrie owned land at Reedy Creek very near the Long Island at what is now Kingsport in Sullivan County, Tennessee.
Adam Guthrie (Guthery) was still residing in the area in December 1787, when his name was among those on a petition filed to form the State of Franklin from the North Carolina western territory, as was his brother-in-law Gilbert Christian and his nephew George Christian.
In 1793, Adam received a land grant for 123 acres of land on the north bank of the French Broad River in Greene County, North Carolina (now Sevier County, Tennessee). The land bordered the land owned by Col. James Hubbert (Hubbard), a well known Indian fighter. James Hubbert was married to Elizabeth Anderson. It is my belief Elizabeth was a close relative of Mary Anderson, wife of Adam Guthrie.
By 1810, James Guthrie and George Guthrie, sons of Adam Guthrie, had moved from Sevier County, Tennessee, to Cumberland County, Kentucky. Adam and his son, Thomas, followed shortly thereafter. They owned land in the vicinity of Illwill Creek which is now in Clinton County, Kentucky. (NOTE: Clinton County was formed from Cumberland County in 1834.)
Adam Guthrie and his three sons (James, George, and Thomas) were listed in the 1820 Census of Cumberland County, Kentucky.
Adam Guthrie wrote his will on May 1, 1825, which was witnessed by Michael Craft and William Craft. George C. Craft and Adam's son, Thomas Guthrie were named as executors. Adam Guthrie died in 1827 in Cumberland County, Kentucky.
(Note: Michael Craft was the son in law of Gilbert Christian, brother-in-law of Adam Guthrie. George C. Craft and William Craft were sons of Michael Craft and Elizabeth Christian.)
James Guthrie remained in the area of Cumberland and Clinton counties in Kentucky. George Guthrie moved to Fayette County, Illinois, while my ancestor, Thomas Guthrie, moved to Hamilton County, Tennessee. I am descended from Thomas Guthrie's daughter, Mary Guthrie, who married Lewis Hall. The two unmarried daughters (Elizabeth "Polly" Guthrie and Nancy Guthrie) of Adam Guthrie also moved to Hamilton County, Tennessee, with their brother, Thomas.
CHILDREN OF ADAM GUTHRIE AND MARY ANDERSON
James Guthrie - spouse: Sarah Atchley, daughter of Thomas Atchley and Lydia Richards. James and Sarah lived in Sevier County, Tennessee and Cumberland and Clinton counties in Kentucky.
George Guthrie - spouse: Hannah Atchley, oldest daughter of Thomas Atchley and Lydia Richards. George and Hannah lived in Sevier County, Tennessee, Cumberland County, Kentucky and Fayette County, Illinois.
Thomas Guthrie - spouse: Mary "Polly" Canterbury, daughter of William Canterbury and Elizabeth Ann "Betsyann" Lawson. Thomas and Mary lived in Sevier County, Tennessee, Cumberland County, Kentucky and Hamilton County, Tennessee.
Elizabeth "Polly" Guthrie - She was never married. Elizabeth lived in Sevier County, Tennessee, Cumberland County, Kentucky and Hamilton County, Tennessee.
Nancy Guthrie - She was never married. Nancy lived in Sevier County, Tennessee, Cumberland County, Kentucky and Hamilton County, Tennessee.
GUTHRIE DNA PROJECT
Guthrie DNA Project Background
Guthrie DNA Project Colorized Y-DNA Results Chart
(Please see Guthrie Family Group 7, Kit #962550, direct male descendant of Thomas Guthrie, son of Adam Guthrie and Mary Anderson. Y-DNA results and close matches have revealed that Adam Guthrie is most likely of Scottish descent.)
Adam Guthrie and Mary Anderson
MY FAMILY DATABASE
My Family Database at TribalPages.com
(This database contains a large amount of information on my ancestors and their families.)
Sevier County, Tennessee
This farm is located on land formerly owned by the Guthrie and Hubbert "Hubbard" families. It is located on the north side of the French Broad River. The Smoky Mountains can be seen looking south in the background. This photograph was obtained from Dorothy Sanner, descendant of Adam Guthrie.
The Guthries of East Tennessee and Related Families by R. Scott Guthrie
"The Lost State of Franklin" - Petition of the Inhabitants of the Western Country
Descendants of John Anderson by Carolyn Anderson Clark
Guthrie Family Genealogy Forum (Genealogy.com)
Hamilton County Tennessee Genealogical Society
Hamilton County, Tennessee Genealogy
James County, Tennessee Genealogy
Sevier County, Tennessee Genealogy & History
Cumberland County, Kentucky GenWeb Site
Cumberland County, Kentucky History and Genealogy
Clinton County, Kentucky History and Genealogy
Clinton County, Kentucky Genealogy
Fayette County, Illinois Genweb
Augusta County, Virginia Genealogy
Augusta County, Virginia Genweb
Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia by Lyman Chalkley
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
DOROTHY ANN FOSTER SANNER (1928-2019)
Dorothy was a descendant of George Guthrie, son of Adam Guthrie and Mary Anderson. Thanks to Dorothy for her Guthrie research and for her hard work in gaining acceptance of the Adam Guthrie family as "One of Tennessee's First Families."
RONALD SCOTT GUTHRIE
Scott is a descendant of Thomas Guthrie, son of Adam Guthrie and Mary Anderson. Thanks to Scott for his extensive research of the Thomas Guthrie family of Hamilton County, Tennessee.
MIKE SAYERS
Mike is a descendant of James Guthrie, son of Adam Guthrie and Mary Anderson. Thanks to Mike for his extensive research of the James Guthrie family of Clinton County, Kentucky.