Inmate was used on Census, Tax, and in official Registers to indicate persons who were in jail, in a county long term home, in a mental hospital or a public or private home designated for the poor, indigent, mentally or physically incapicitated. Children could thus also be "inmates" and also some children's homes used inmate even without any defect-- except having no other place to care for them. Judy On 11/23/07, Clara Berry <99nimrodog@comcast.net> wrote: > > I have been searching old (1765-1780) tax lists of Chester Co., PA and > found the listing "inmates" under which various amounts of men are > named. The dictionary gives the description in essence: Someone who > resides with another party. My question is: Is there an old or archaic > meaning for the word "inmate"? I have found the person I'm researching on > the 1779 & 1780 inmates list but not on the others & I'm supposing these men > could be of any adult age but living somewhere other than a parents home and > also unmarried. Freemen is a separate listing on these Tax Lists. Any help > is greatly appreciated as always.