Our Colonial Ancestor, David Miller, and Cattle Brands

Colonial Williamsburg

 In rural colonial America, settlers allowed their, cattle, horses and pigs, to roam free, hence the need arose for identifying livestock. This was done by making slits or cuts in the ears and also by the use of “cattle marks” or brandings. 

Some counties registered these brands and the original records often times described the brand and even added a drawing of such. Here are two examples from South Carolina:

November 21 [cattle brand mark of spade]: This Day Came Jeremiah Varreen & Recorded his Marke for Cattle, Hoggs & being a Spade in both Ears. 

The very common spade shape used for
colonial cattle marks

March 14: This Day Came Mr. Stephen Fox & Recorded his Ear Markes for Cattle & hogs, viz. one Crop in ye Left Ear and a Halfpenny under ye Right Ear and has under lasches under both Ears & Burn’d Markes with an [drawing of a cattle brand mark resembling a C].

The following is a transcription of a similar record for our Miller’s and their Emmett (aka Emmott)  in-laws, and while the detail is missing, these records do place our ancestors in Somerset County, Maryland in 1689.

Remember, David Miller (below) is Abraham Miller’s father and our William Miller’s grandfather.  Abraham Emmett was married to David’s sisters:

Cattle Marks (1685-1723); Somerset Co., MD 

Contributed to the USGenWeb Archives by Osiris Johnson  

Copyright.  All Rights Reserved.

http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

http://www.usgwarchives.net/md/mdfiles.htm

Transcribed by Osiris Johnson  

 from CR 50,078 of the Maryland Archives

---------- Page 14 ----------

William Law - 28 June 1689

James Smith - 17 December 1688

Lawrence Connor - 18 July 1689

Abraham Emmett - 30 July 1689

John Emmett Junr  - 30 July 1689

Josias Emmett - 30 July 1689

John Steel - 30 July 1689

David Miller - 30 July 1689

William Owens - 7 August 1689

William Carey - 12 October 1689

Thomas Davis of Church???k of Nansumum county but formerly of Somerset county in the province of Maryland give to Lewis Knight - 13 April 1686

Lewis Knight gives to William Porter - 12 December 1689

William White - 18 December 1689

William White - 18 December 1689

William White - 18 December 1689

Stevens White 18 December 1689

http://files.usgwarchives.net/md/somerset/history/area/cattlemarks.txt

Read more about cattle marks at:

http://www.longwood.k12.ny.us/history/colonial/earmark.htm