Buried Danville Cemetery
George Anderson Spiller was born 9 Aug 1818, most likely in Amherst Co., VA He was one of the five children of George W. Spiller (1788-1830) and Mary "Polly" Spears (1793-1848) of Virginia. In 1840, George A. Spiller owned land next to his mother in Buckingham Co. and is found on the Poll List of Buckingham County in the Oakville District. Around 1840-1841, George married Harriett Thornhill, daughter of Thomas Tanner Thornhill and Agnes Patteson of Buckingham Co., VA. Harriett died 16 Aug 1841. This same year, George is found on the Poll List in Bent Creek, Buckingham Co., VA. On 16 May 1844, George married his second wife, Jemima Susanna Diuguid, who preferred to be known as "Susan J" in Lynchburg, Campbell Co., VA. Susan Diuguid was born 11 Dec 1825 in Campbell Co. She was a daughter of William Sampson Diuguid and Susannah Thornhill. Both of her grandfathers served in the Revolutionary War (George Diuguid and Jesse Thornhill of Virginia). Their first child, a daughter named Allace Lucy, was born 26 Apr 1845 in VA and did not survive. Ca. 1846, one of George's brothers, Dr. Samuel Fielding Spiller, emigrated from Virginia to Montgomery Co., TX, purchasing land in the Joseph Lindley Survey. In 1848, George, Susan, and their second child, William Fielding Spiller (born 6 Jan 1847), set out by wagon with all of their possessions and dreams for the great state of Texas. George's diary documented their journey and reveals that it took them 11 weeks to arrive at his brother's home in Danville on 22 Dec 1848. After their arrival in Danville, he wrote descriptive letters to his brother, James Madison Spiller, and family friend, Dr. I. L. Twyman, both of Virginia. Some of those letters survive today and can be found in the Austin-Twyman Collection in the College of William and Mary College's Swem Library, Special Collections. George and Susan had two more children after their arrival in Danville, Mary Susan, b. 6 Aug 1849 and Harriett Susan, b. 19 Mar 1851. Both daughters would die young.
The year after their arrival, George bought 258 acres in the Joseph Lindley Survey on 13 Dec 1849 from his brother, Dr. Samuel F. Spiller, for $750.00. (Montgomery Co., TX Deed Records, Bk. N, pg. 384). This land had been purchased by Samuel Spiller on 2 Sep 1847 for $700 from Joseph M. Evans and his wife, Maneurah S. Evans (Montgomery County TX Deed Records, Bk. M, pg. 269), possibly in anticipation of George's arrival in Danville. Maneurah Evans had purchased the land directly from Joseph Lindley and his wife, Ann, for $500 on 20 Dec 1845 (Montgomery County TX Deed Records, Bk. L, pg. 225). It was described as "that piece or tract of land, ...on the east side of the San Jacinto river being part of the Headright League of land granted to said Joseph Lindley by the Mexican Government by Deed bearing date 6 April 1835..." (See deeds for full description). Soon, George also bought Town Lots in Danville (Bk. Q, pp. 399-402, Montgomery County, TX Deeds). On 20 Jan 1852, the Spiller's bought 460 ac. of land from J. S. Collard and wife (Vol. P, pp. 344-345) (subsequently selling 100 ac. of it) and built a large, Virginia-styled home near the Town of Danville. Research has shown that this property was located on the east side of present-day Old Danville Rd. across the street and south of the Town Lots of Danville. In those days, Old Danville Rd. was known as Main Street. Their home was near the site of an old well-head that is still visible today on the east side of this road. A few years ago, a gentleman in Conroe named Russ Clanton directed descendants of the Spiller family to the old well-head sticking up out of the ground and confirmed that this was the parcel of land that the Spiller's lived on. A plat of this land can be found in the probate records of George Anderson Spiller's estate (Black Box Packet No. 338, 1854). This well was used as a point of reference by the developer of the Danville Town Lots on his plat filed in the courthouse in 1848 (Bk. O, p. 231). At that time it was known as Hiram Little's well and earlier had been called the McGary well; denoting the owner of that tract at the time. The Spillers also purchased 440 ac. of additional land in the nearby J. B. Tong Survey on 23 Apr 1853 (Bk. P, pp. 341-344); subsequently selling brother, Preston Hampden Spiller, 100 ac. of that tract. George died of yellow fever on 11 Apr 1854, intestate. However, probate documents pertaining to his estate survive in the Montgomery County Courthouse (Black Box Packet 338). These documents also show that he owned 11 slaves in 1854, as follows: George, Albert, Washington, John, Willis, Fanny, Isabella and child, Marcella, Laura, and Sally. After George's death, his widow, Susan, and son, William Fielding Spiller, continued buying and selling local acreage for many years.
George Anderson Spiller is buried in the Spiller plot, surrounded by his family and many descendants of his son, William.
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