Daily AncestorBrother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of your husband or wife, or the husband of your sister.
Brother-in-law covers two different men: your spouse's brother and your sister's husband. Records rarely say which, so a will that names my brother-in-law Jas. Hill could point either way.
Older writers also used plain brother for a brother-in-law, so check other records before assuming two men were born to the same parents.
As seen in a recordExecutor clause in an 1820s will
I appoint my brother-in-law Jas. Hill executor
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Brother-in-law." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/relationships/brother-in-law. Last checked 2026-10-01.