Hi, before a recent Texas Constitutional amendment was passed by Voters, which established a Legislative Oversight Committee to periodically review for outdated laws and delete or update them, even Bee Trees were half yours if you found it and blazed a mark on the tree which was registered in County Records. When I grew up, neighbors would follow bees and find a tree and rob the honey, and offer half of it to the landowner- 1930's. There was also another kind of branding or marking before 1800. Great Grandad 8 times back was Col. Ben Cleveland of Rev. War who was also a Judge of the Old Pendleton District it is recorded in those court records that at least 1 horse thief was brought before Judge Cleveland- A horse was life or death to the owner sometimes back then. The Judge once sentenced a horse thief, convicted with Witness testimony, to have his ear notched, after being in British Stocks one day and taking a lashing of 39 licks. Then came the ear notch and a small branding iron which left a HT brand (for Horse thief) on his cheek, then he was released. As soon as he could travel, he headed for the frontier privacy and rested in a safe place until his hair and whiskers grew out and hid his scars. Col. Ben's North Carolina Militia , after Battle of King's Mountain, had mock trials and hanged some setlers of the British Militia and marked ears, fingers, and cheeks of some of Maj. Patrick Ferguson's men. Cols, Sevier and Shelby drew swords and stopped the mutilation and released the prisoners and told them to go show Cornwallis what happened to thjem. A few months he surenderred after he realized Ferguson was dead and no Colonial British Militia was coming to reinforce him. Older men used to joke with small boys, in a playfrul mood, while whittling, that they might notch our ears if we did not quit teasing them. . We pretended fright- but never had seen any one do it \ By the way, Texas & Southwestern Cattleman's association detectives today claim that livestock and farm equipment theft is as great as it ever was. One man in Hamilton or Coryell County was found to have a bulldozer, a farm Tractor worth several thousand dollars, and other equipment under shade trees off a main road not long ago. Today Branding catle can be done with Caustic Soda- but how many mark their farm equipment or record the serial numbers for identification?? Charles Wyly On Sun, 7 Sep 2003 16:04:43 -0700 CHARLES PETTY <[email protected]> writes: > Greetings Y'all > Charles Petty here, residing in Pinellas County Florida. I have > followed this > list for about > three(3) years now, I've been silent for some timenow, however, the > present > interest in > War Between the States Reunions, has perked my interest again. > My GGFather Francis Marion (F. M. Petty) resided in Dublin from > about 1870, > until approx. > 1906. > He is listed in the Erath Register of Marks and Brands, under the > Laws of 1874, > pg. 80/81? > My GFather John Henry Petty, was born in Dublin in Feb 1877. > Anyone with "any" information about F.M. Petty, please contact me > privately at: > > [email protected] > > Thanking Everyone in advance, I remain, > > Your Most Humble Servant, > > Charles Petty > > Doe Vindice > > > > > > ==== TXERATH Mailing List ==== > --- Author Retains Copyright --- > -- Copyright 2003 Author -- All Rights Reserved > Post to List: [email protected] http://www.selfroots.com > Unsubscribe request To: [email protected] > ARCHIVES: http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > >