Hello Everybody, I cannot seem to understand to following from the 1851 census. It states: JOHN HINTON. 62 HEAD. ANN HINTON 64 WIFE. ROBERT READ. Unmarried 37. SON-IN-LAW CHARLOTTE READ Unmarried 36. DAUGHTER-IN-LAW. Presumably ROBERT & CHARLOTTE are brother & sister how can they be son & daughter-in-law to JOHN HINTON. Can anybody be so kind to help me sort this puzzle out. Thank you for your time. Syd Hockey. (Southampton)

Hello Syd The term "in-law" was used in historic times to refer to people related by marriage, whether or not they were "in-laws" as we would consider them today. I had great difficulty with this term used in a family Will until it was explained in Family Tree Magazine about two years ago. It looks as if Ann Hinton may be the scond wife of John, her first husband having been ? Read, with Robert and Charlotte Read as her children. Have you obtained the marriage details of John and Ann, which may give a clue? Colyn.