Richard Overton is remembered for his acting and writing, but most of all for the radical pamphlets he produced during the English Revolution. He was born in 1631 and died at the age of 33 in 1664. Overton was an important and courageous figure in British history.
Unfortunately, nothing much is documented about the early life of the radical writer. In or around 1640, this pamphlets began to be passed out, making him a known figure. These were satirical writings which targeted the Catholic Church. The writer had converted to General Baptism around this time.
The controversial pamphleteer wrote ‘Mans Mortalitie’ which was considered heresy by man. The belief written about in this work was that the human body and soul both died together and would both be resurrected at the Last Judgement. Lots of people in the General Baptist faith agreed with this theory but Protestants who were Presbyterians did not.
Around 1645, the writer began to create political documents in addition to his religious pamphlets. Overton had become a supporter of the Leveller Movement which believed in popular sovereignty and tolerance of different religious beliefs. It is generally though that the author along with another writer named William Walwyn created ‘The Remonstrance of Many Thousand Citizens’ which expounded all the tenants of the Leveller beliefs.
Overton wrote a piece in 1646 that argued for John Liburne to be released from prison. The government believed the writer to have committed a criminal act by publishing this work. He was arrested and imprisoned at Newgate Prison. There, he continued to create written works arguing for the rights and liberties of the general public.
In 1647, he was released from Newgate. Rather than lying low at this time, the writer joined fellow Leveller supporters in a mutiny against the Grandees. The Grandees were members of the land owning gentry during the English Revolution. These nobles quickly squashed the Leveller’s mutinous advance.
The writer was imprisoned again sometime around 1649 for more political writings in support of the Leveller Movement. His writings were considered acts of treason. He was released in the same year and continued to conspire against the government for several years. Nothing much is known of the rest of his life. richard overton
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