Reverend Mr. William Guthrie, Minister of the Gospel at Fenwick

Guthrie DNA Project Designation: Ungrouped Family Status
Haplogroup: Unknown - No surviving male issue for Y-DNA testing.
Only daughters Agnes and Mary produced issue. Recommend Autosomal DNA analysis
_____________________________________________________

Biographical Summary

William Guthrie, born 1620, eldest son of James G. of Pitforthie, Forfarshire, by a daugh. of Lyon of Easter-Ogle, in Tanadice parish. He became an apt scholar, and on 5th June 1638 he graduated M.A. at Univ. of St Andrews, where his studies had been directed by his cousin, James Guthrie the martyr, then a regent in philosophy. He studied divinity under Samuel Rutherford. To free himself from what he considered purely worldly affairs, he made over Pitforthie to one of his brothers. He was licen. by the Pres. of St Andrews in Aug. 1642, and became tutor to the eldest son of James Campbell, first Earl of Loudoun, the Lord High Chancellor of Scotland. Some persons from Fenwick having heard him preach at a Fast-day service in Galston Kirk, they desired him to be called as the first min. of their newly created parish. That was done, and he was ord. 7th Nov. 1644. Soon afterwards the General Assembly appointed him an army chaplain, and he was present at the engagement which took place at Mauchline Moor in June 1648. He joined the Protesters in 1651. On 8th Aug. 1654 he was appointed by the English Council on a committee for supervising admissions to the ministry within the bounds of his own Synod. Refusing to submit to Episcopacy, he was deprived 24th July 1664. He went to Pitforthie, which had again come into his hands through the death of his brother, and following a period of ill-health, he died in the manse of his brother-in-law, Laurence Skinner, min. of Brechin, 10th Oct. 1665, and was buried in the Cathedral there. He was a man of ready wit, who moved freely amongst his people, lived simply, and spent a great part of leisure in such sports as fishing and fowling. When he preached his church was crowded, and his pastoral work was performed with undiminished fervour and success throughout all his ministry.

Marriage

Agnes Campbell married Reverend Mr. William Guthrie, Minister of the Gospel at Fenwick in August 1645 Fasti II: 93

Children

1. Margaret Guthrie
2. Agnes Guthrie
3. William Guthrie
4. Mary Guthrie
5. Elizabeth Guthrie
6. John Guthrie

Genealogy

1. Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae: the Succession of Ministers in the Church of Scotland from the Reformation, Vol. II, page 93
2. Wikipedia: William Guthrie