Hello again! To answer the questions about stock marks, yes, they were brands. The papers that I mentioned included a written explanation of the person's stock mark or brand for there livestock. They also included the person's signature or mark. I had been to Union Parish several times before I knew that they had these original records there. They have quite a few of the original probate papers there also. I found the probate papers on my James Taylor and Willis Sawyer there. There was also one there for Willis Sawyer's son, Daniel Sawyer. They were so much more interesting than what is recorded in the books. In my James Taylor's estate, there were tax receipts, bills from Newspapers, stores, etc. that were paid from the estate. It was fascinating looking at all of the different things they bought during that time period (he died in 1858). There was even a bill in there for the doctor who treated him when he became ill and died. I was thrilled to be able to get copies of these original papers. Happy Hunting! Debbie