Hi, In many areas it was the custom to put Workhouse inmates out to families in the parish - this relieved the pressure on the parish funds and provided work for inmates - in the hope that they would then be able to fund themselves. Some people just stayed out for the day and returned to the Workhouse to sleep but it looks as if in this instance he was lodging there. Son in law could refer to someone related by marriage - ie a stepson or to the husband of a daughter - quite possible that a married couple/widower could end up in the Workhouse too. Regards, Dot Dorothy Holden Dover Kent England There are three things that can never be retrieved- the spoken word, time past and the neglected opportunity I volunteer for the Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness website www.raogk.org