Daniel Dill was the older brother of my 4x-great-grandfather Peter Dill. Daniel was born in Georgia, moved to Ohio, returned to Georgia, and then settled in Mobile, Alabama. Along the way he was married, widowed, was in the confectioner business, and became a slave owner. He died intestate (without a will) and with his property already tied up in an ownership dispute.
This set in motion a lengthy probate process that involved multiple estate administrators, hearings, reprimands, witnesses and challenges by purported heirs. The Civil War disrupts the process and the outcome is unexpected.
We find some good genealogical data here, but the drama and side stories are, I think, much more interesting.
- The Curious Case of Daniel Dill: Part 1
- Part 2: Daniel Dill’s Missing Years
- Part 3: A trip from Mobile to Pensacola
- Part 4: Life in Mobile
- Part 5: Friends and Neighbors
- Part 6: The Death of Daniel Dill
- Part 7: The Estate of Daniel Dill
- Part 8: Nancy, Sam and John
- Part 9: Peter Dill’s intervention
- Part 10: Daniel’s wife and her family
- Part 11: Peter’s Day in Court
- Part 12: Evidence from the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt
- Part 13: Public Auction
- Part 14: The Civil War
- Part 15: Settlement
- Part 16: Epilogue
