Clan Guthrie is a
Scottish clan
A Scottish clan (from Scottish Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared heritage and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure r ...
.
History
Origins of the clan
The family of Guthrie took their name from the
lands of the same name in the county of
Angus and their name is one of the oldest in that county.
The origin of the name
Guthrie is not known, although there is a tradition that the lands were named Guthrie by an early king of Scots, after a fisherman ''gut three'' fish to serve his hungry monarch.
In about 1178
William the Lion
William the Lion (), sometimes styled William I (; ) and also known by the nickname ; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Alba from 1165 to 1214. His almost 49 ...
granted the lands of Gutherin to
Arbroath Abbey
Arbroath Abbey, in the Scottish town of Arbroath, was founded in 1178 by William I of Scotland, King William the Lion for a group of Tironensian Benedictine monks from Kelso Abbey. It was consecration, consecrated in 1197 with a dedication to th ...
.
The family were royal falconers and subsequently purchased these lands.
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Laird of Guthrie was sent to
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in 1299 to invite
William Wallace to return to Scotland.
The mission was successful and Guthrie landed with Wallace at
Montrose, Angus
Montrose ( ; ) is a town and former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Situated north of Dundee and south of Aberdeen, Montrose lies between the mouths of the River North Esk, Angus, North and River South Esk, South Esk rivers. It is the northe ...
.
The early charters of the Guthrie family have since been lost but it seems certain that they obtained the Barony of Guthrie from
David II of Scotland
David II (5 March 1324 – 22 February 1371) was King of Scotland from 1329 until his death in 1371. Upon the death of his father, Robert the Bruce, David succeeded to the throne at the age of five and was crowned at Scone in November 1331, be ...
.
15th century
In August 1442, Alexander Guthrie of Guthrie witnessed a charter by Alexander Seton, lord of Gordon to Lord Keith.
He acquired the lands of Kincaldrum near
Forfar
Forfar (; , ) is the county town of Angus, Scotland, and the administrative centre for Angus Council, with a new multi-million-pound office complex located on the outskirts of the town. As of 2021, the town had a population of 16,280.
The town ...
in 1446 and became Baillie of Forfar.
Sir David Guthrie of Guthrie was armour bearer to the king, captain of the guard and was appointed Lord Treasurer of Scotland in 1461.
He also obtained a charter under the great seal to build
Guthrie Castle in 1468 and in 1473 was appointed Lord Chief Justice of Scotland.
David greatly increased the Guthrie estates and founded a collegiate church at Guthrie which was confirmed in a
Papal bull
A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it.
History
Papal ...
of 1479.
16th century and clan conflicts
David's son, Sir Alexander Guthrie, was killed at the
Battle of Flodden in 1513.
In 1567 the Guthries signed a bond upholding the authority of the infant
James VI of Scotland
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
against that of his mother,
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legit ...
.
Around the same time the Clan Guthrie were feuding with their neighbours, the
Clan Gardyne.
Alexander Guthrie had been assassinated at
Inverpeffer and the Guthries retaliated.
The feud lasted until 1618,
[Clan Guthrie History](_blank)
scotclans.com. Retrieved 5 September 2013. when the Guthries were saved from their actions by a royal pardon.
17th century and civil war
In the early seventeenth century the estate passed through cousins until 1636 when
John Guthrie, Bishop of Moray became the eleventh chief of Clan Guthrie.
Guthrie had been ordained at Perth and had become minister of St Giles in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
in 1621.
He took up residence at
Spynie Palace in 1623 and was consecrated Bishop of Moray.
During the
Scottish Civil War he was forced to surrender his castle to the forces of
Colonel Monroe, retiring to his own estates in Guthrie.
His third son, Andrew, fought for
James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose but was captured at the
Battle of Philiphaugh.
Andrew was sentenced to death and beheaded by the Scottish "
Maiden" in January 1646 in St Andrews.
Andrew's daughter, Bethia, married a kinsman, Francis Guthrie of Gagie, and as a result the title and estates remained with the Guthrie family.
Henry Guthrie, Bishop of Dunkeld, was a cousin of John Guthrie, the Bishop of Moray.
The Guthries were religious leaders in the time of
Martin Luther
Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...
and were champions of
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
against the Roman Catholic Church.
[Clan Guthrie History](_blank)
guthrie.org. Retrieved 5 September 2013. They were ready to back up their beliefs with their lives and were true to their reputation of 'holding a sword in one hand, a Bible in the other'.
James Guthrie, who was of the chiefly family, was a
Covenanter
Covenanters were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. It originated in disputes with James VI and his son C ...
minister who became one of that movement's early martyrs.
He was ordained the minister of Lauder in 1638 and moved to
Stirling
Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...
in 1649.
He preached openly against the king's religious policies and was stripped of his office by the Church of Scotland's General Assembly, whose authority Guthrie had challenged.
He continued to preach until 1661 when he was sentenced to death and executed.
18th and 19th centuries
A branch of the Clan Guthrie were the Guthries of Halkerton who held their barony by right of the office of royal falconers in Angus.
However this title and office were only relinquished under the terms of the Heritable Jurisdictions Act in 1747.
John Douglas Guthrie of Guthrie served in the cavalry during the 1882 Egyptian campaign.
He married Mary, daughter of
Duncan Davidson of Tulloch.
Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Guthrie of Guthrie was the last chief of Clan Guthrie to live at
Guthrie Castle.
He was born in 1886, he became a distinguished soldier, commanding the 4th Battalion the
Black Watch and was awarded the
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...
.
The clan today
Guthrie Castle was purchased by the
e laPeña family in 1984. There is an active fraternal organization, Clan Guthrie USA, dedicated to preserving and promoting Guthrie heritage.
Clan Chief
The previous chief was Alexander Ivan Bedini Guthrie of Guthrie 22nd of that Ilk, who inherited the title from his grandmother Moira Guthrie of Guthrie in 1990. Born in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
in 1967, he was educated in
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and attended
UCL; he lived between
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
,
Monte Argentario and the
UK. Guthrie of Guthrie died in London of
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
on 23 March 2020.
He was succeeded by Christian Guthrie of Guthrie, 23rd of that Ilk,
[Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs - select "Guthrie" from the drop down list and click "View"](_blank)
clanchiefs.org. Retrieved 5 September 2013 as the 23rd Chief of Clan Guthrie.
Tartans
Clan Castles
*
Guthrie Castle: Is a historic site, and is well known in Scotland.
[Guthrie Castle](_blank)
guthriecastle.com. Retrieved 5 September 2013. Located near
Forfar
Forfar (; , ) is the county town of Angus, Scotland, and the administrative centre for Angus Council, with a new multi-million-pound office complex located on the outskirts of the town. As of 2021, the town had a population of 16,280.
The town ...
in Angus, the castle was built in 1468 under a warrant granted by King James III of Scotland to his treasurer, Sir David Guthrie.
[Clan Guthrie - Castles](_blank)
guthrie.org. Retrieved 5 September 2013. It originally consisted of only the square tower, and a yett (entrance gate).
The yett was a symbol of trust in an era when the King wasn't anxious for his subjects to be heavily fortified. The tower has walls 14 feet thick, which discouraged invaders until the invention of modern artillery.
It is believed that the family stopped living in the tower, and built a house close by around 1760. In 1848, John Guthrie, with the help of architect David Bryce, connected the tower and the house.
[Guthrie Castle](_blank)
angushead.com. Retrieved 5 September 2013. Major renovations were carried out by John and Harriet Maude Guthrie in the 1850s. Later, the railroad which ran from Forfar to Guthrie actually had tracks passing along the top of the main gate.
Guthrie Castle was sold in 1984 to the Penna family. After 19 years as their private residence, the family opened the castle to the public (by prior reservation).
[Guthrie Castle - Haunting Beauty](_blank)
scotland.com. Retrieved 5 September 2013. Today, it's a popular venue for weddings and special events,
including golf on the property course.
The castle has a reputation of being haunted. The ghost was last seen by one of the present members of the Guthrie family when she was a little girl. There have been other experiences since the Peña family first inhabited it in September 1984.
*Gagie House: Near
Dundee
Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
, was built in 1614. It served as the dower house for the Laird-to-be of Guthrie Castle. The eldest son of the Laird was often given Gagie on his marriage, and he lived here until his father died. He then moved with his family into Guthrie Castle, and his eldest son took up residence in Gagie House. Gagie has been altered in each century, but still maintains its 17th-century charm. The garden wall was originally a defensive bamkin wall, and is attached to the house. In the garden is the summer house, built by John and Jean Guthrie in 1762. Gagie contains a number of family portraits that formerly graced the walls of Guthrie Castle. They were purchased by the Friends of the Guthrie Castle when they were auctioned upon the sale of the castle. Gagie is now owned by the Smoors, and they welcomed visiting Guthries. According to Clan Guthrie USA's May 2013 newsletter, Gagie house is now for sale.
*
Torosay Castle: Located on the
Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull or simply Mull ( ) is the second-largest island of the Inner Hebrides (after Skye) and lies off the west coast of Scotland in the Council areas of Scotland, council area of Argyll and Bute.
Covering , Mull is the fourth-lar ...
, Torosay Castle was acquired in 1865 by Arburthnot Charles Guthrie, a wealthy London businessman. It served as his getaway. The castle has over 60 rooms, and is surrounded by an estate of over 12,000 acres.
Torosay was sold in 2012 to the McLean Fund and closed to the public for a year. Opening with a private family dinner in December 2013. Christopher Guthrie-James, former Laird of the Estate said "it was with a sense of relief, rather than regret, that we sold the family home at Torosay." Kenneth Donald McLean sixth Laird has spent more than £1 million restoring the castle and gardens.
Branches of Clan Guthrie
Although the Guthries of Guthrie were the main line of the family, many offshoots existed, some of them mentioned in an old rhyme: "Guthrie o' Guthrie and Guthrie o' Gagie Guthrie o' Taybank an'
Guthrie o' Craigie."
Clan Guthrie USA
Clan Guthrie USA is a nonprofit, fraternal organization of over 400 Guthrie families who have joined to promote and preserve their common heritage.
Welcome to Clan Guthrie - Membership
clanguthrie.org. Retrieved 5 September 2013. The organization participates in Scottish Highland festivals, sells Guthrie merchandise, publishes a quarterly newsletter, sponsors special events (such as Scotland reunion tours), and maintains a Guthrie genealogy database.[Clan Guthrie (home page)](_blank)
clanguthrie.org. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
See also
* Scottish clan
A Scottish clan (from Scottish Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared heritage and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure r ...
* Guthrie baronets
References
External links
Clan Guthrie USA
{{Scottish clans
Guthrie