Person:John Guthrie (5)

Notes for John Guthrie

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/g/u/t/Lon-K-Guthrie/BOOK-0001/0004-0012.html

According to reliable tradition, this Guthrie ancestor, who left Scotland, was a zealous Covenanter. So devoted was he to that cause, so active in his opposition to the efforts of the Crown to force Prelacy upon Scotland, that Claverhouse, the Arch-Persecutor, set a price upon his head and hunted him from place to place. Finally making his way to the West Coast of Scotland, he, together with some of his followers, found a hiding-place in a cave, whence, seeking escape to Ireland, a sharp outlook was kept for passing vessels. At length a French ship was sighted, hailed and as she hove to, the hunted men put out to her in a row-boat. Just at this juncture Chaverhouse with some of his troopers came galloping up and fired a volley at the escaping party. Fortunately they had gained a distance from the shore well-nigh out of musket range, and so, uninjured, made their get-away, landing in due time on the coast of Ireland.

The name of this Covenanter was John Guthrie. He married, presumably somewhat later, Jane Stuart, who was descended from the Royal House of Scotland. John Guthrie, our subject, was their son. He was born in North Ireland, in 1708. He married there, Ann _________ , and soon afterwards, about the year 1730, they emigrated to America, coming in the same boat with the Gilkesons and Stewarts, whose descendants variously intermarried with theirs. They settled on the east side of the Octoraro Creek, (a stream forming a part of the boundary between Chester and Lancaster Counties, Pennsylvania), at a place afterwards known as Andrews Bridge.

The name "John Guttry," appears on the tax list of Londonderry Township in 1734, and subsequently in the lists of taxables in that township on down to the formation of Oxford, after which it appears in the lists of that township. The name is variously spelled in the 1737 list as: Gottere, Guttery, Gettery, Gutterei, etc. These tax lists show that his estate consistently increased and that he ranked high among his neighbors in the amount of taxes paid.

John Guthrie was a respected citizen, and he together with the members of his family were devout adherents of the Fagg's Manor Presbyterian Church. He was for many years a ruling elder in it.

!SOURCES: 1. Family Records !NOTE: John was Coventor - Scotch Presbyterian. John and wife, Jane fled to North Ireland before 1708.