Clan Guthrie
Encyclopedia
Origins of the name
Although the surname GuthrieGuthrie (surname)
Guthrie is an English-language surname with several independent origins. In some cases the surname is derived from a place in Scotland, located near Forfar, which is derived from the Gaelic gaothair, meaning "windy place". Another origin of the name is from the Scottish Gaelic MagUchtre, meaning...
has several independent origins, the surname borne by the clan is almost certainly derives from the barony of the same name near Forfar
Forfar
Forfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and...
. The place name is derived from a Gaelic word, meaning "windy place".
Wars of Scottish Independence
The first of the name Guthrie on record in Scotland was one Squire Guthrie in 1303 during the Wars of Scottish IndependenceWars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
. He had been sent to France to request the return of William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
, who had retired there having resigned the guardianship of Scotland. The mission was evidently successful, as William Wallace did indeed return to Scotland. However, Wallace was later captured and executed by the English.
The Guthries of Guthrie received their estates by a charter from King David II of Scotland
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
between the years 1329 and 1371.
15th century
In 1457, Sir David Guthrie of Guthrie was Armour-Bearer to King James III of ScotlandJames III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
and the Sheriff of Forfar; he became Lord Treasurer of Scotland in 1461 and continued in this office until 1467, when he was appointed Comptroller of the Exchequer. In 1468, he obtained a warrant under the Great Seal to build Guthrie Castle
Guthrie Castle
Guthrie Castle is a castle and country house in Angus, Scotland. It is located in the village of Guthrie, east of Forfar, and north-east of Dundee. The castle dates back to the 15th century, although much of the present building is of 19th century origin...
near Friockheim in Angus, which remains standing to this day.
16th century & Anglo-Scottish Wars
In the 16th century, during the Anglo-Scottish WarsAnglo-Scottish Wars
The Anglo-Scottish Wars were a series of wars fought between England and Scotland during the sixteenth century.After the Wars of Scottish Independence, England and Scotland had fought several times during the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In most cases, one country had attempted to...
, Clan Guthrie fought at the Battle of Flodden Field
Battle of Flodden Field
The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field or occasionally Battle of Branxton was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey...
(1513) against the English. Sir David Guthrie's eldest son Sir Alexander was killed in this battle.
The Guthries were supporters of the young King James VI of Scotland against his own mother Mary, Queen of Scots, who had been portrayed as a challenge to his authority as King. It was around this time that Alexander Guthrie was murdered following an 80 year feud with the neighbouring Clan Gardyne
Clan Gardyne
Clan Gardyne or Clan Garden is an armigerous lowland Scottish Clan from Angus.The chiefly family of Garden or Gardyne of that Ilk are a very ancient family, who were proprietors in Angus from a remote period, and are first recorded in the locality of the Kirkdon of Angus in 1008 when they are...
(which continued until 1618).
17th century & Civil War
The Guthries were religious leaders in the time of Martin LutherMartin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
. They were also supporters of Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
against the Roman Catholic church and were ready to back up their beliefs with their lives.
In 1640, during the Bishop's Wars, the position of Bishop of Moray
Bishop of Moray
The Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics...
was held by a Guthrie at the fortified seat of Spynie Palace
Spynie Palace
Spynie Palace, also known as Spynie Castle, was the fortified seat of the Bishops of Moray for about 500 years. The founding of the palace dates back to the late 12th Century. It is situated about 500m from the location of the first officially settled Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Moray, in...
. However, during the year 1640, the palace was besieged by General Robert Monro (d. 1680) of Clan Munro
Clan Munro
-Origins:The main traditional origin of the clan is that the Munros came from Ireland and settled in Scotland in the 11th century and that they fought as mercenary soldiers under the Earl of Ross who defeated Viking invaders in Rosshire...
, and Bishop Guthrie was forced to surrender.
The bishop's third son Andrew followed the campaign of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
. He met a similar fate: after being taken prisoner at the Battle of Philiphaugh
Battle of Philiphaugh
The Battle of Philiphaugh was fought on 13 September 1645 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. The Royalist army of the Marquess of Montrose was destroyed by the Covenanter army of Sir David Leslie, restoring the power of the Committee of Estates.-Prelude:When...
, he was transported to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and beheaded by Edinburgh's infamous 'Maiden' (a smaller version of the French guillotine). This macabre device is still on display in Edinburgh's Museum of Antiquities.
James Guthrie was a minister, ordained in Lauder in 1638, and, unlike other Guthries, he supported the Covenanters. When he moved to Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
in 1649, he preached openly against the king’s religious views. The Church of Scotland stripped him of his office, but he carried on unperturbed until his arrest in 1661. After a swift trial, he was executed later that year.
James "the Martyr" Guthrie
James "the Martyr" Guthrie was executed for his beliefs in Edinburgh in 1661. He was described by Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
as "the little man who refused to kneel."
The Chief in the 19th century
Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Guthrie of Guthrie was the last chief of Clan Guthrie to live at Guthrie CastleGuthrie Castle
Guthrie Castle is a castle and country house in Angus, Scotland. It is located in the village of Guthrie, east of Forfar, and north-east of Dundee. The castle dates back to the 15th century, although much of the present building is of 19th century origin...
. Born in 1886, he became a distinguished soldier, commanding the 4th Battalion the Black Watch
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
and was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
.