Back in the 1800's brother in law/sister in law etc often meant step brother or step sister so thoughts of him being a half brother woukld be a correct assumption on your part.
"In law" hasn't always had such a narrow meaning as it tends to have now. If you shared a parent, then - in law - you were brothers/sisters. The same kind of rule would apply to other family relationships. In more modern times, we have broken that down into step-relationships, and in-laws.
Christine
Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...
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