Alexandre Dumas

Writer

Born

July 24, 1802 · Villers-Cotterêts, Aisne, France

Died

December 5, 1870

Birth name

Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie

His paternal grandparents were Marie Cessete Dumas (a Haitian slave) and Marquis Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie. Antoine disapproved of their son, Thomas-Alexandre, joining the French army under the "Davy de la Pailleterie" name, so Thomas-Alexandre used his mother's surname instead. He became a valued general of Napoleon, and after he married the daughter of a local tavern owner, Thomas-Alexandre had a son of his own. This son was Alexandre Dumas, who became world-famous as the author of "The Three Musketeers" and "The Count of Monte Cristo".