Thanks to the diligent transcription efforts of Judy Ingram, the Knox County TNGenWeb site has the 1792-1817 Knox County Brands Book (registration of animal markings) on-line. This book also contains the registrations for public water, saw, and grist mills. If your ancestry isn't in Knox County, don't despair. There are names from surrounding counties here as well! Remember that the earliest records are for the period before some of Knox County's "children" formed. And, don't forget that Knoxville became a center of commerce because of the rivers, meaning people came here from all over the area. So, your 3Xgreat-grampaw's brother might have moved "to town." http://www.wdbj.net/~tnknox/records/brandsbk.html