Major General Robert Overton | |
|---|---|
 A portrait of Overton by an unknown painter. | |
| Governor/Deputy Governor of Hull | |
| In office March 1648 – 1654 | |
| Military Commander, West Scotland | |
| In office December 1652 – February 1653 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1609 Easington, East Riding of Yorkshire |
| Died | 1678 Seaton, Rutland |
| Resting place | New Churchyard, London |
| Spouse | Ann Gardiner (1632–1665 her death) |
| Relations | Richard Overton (Leveller) |
| Children | Twelve, including John (1635–1678), Benjamin (1647–1711), and Anne; |
| Alma mater | St John's College, Cambridge Gray's Inn |
| Occupation | Religious and political radical, author and soldier |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Parliamentarian |
| Rank | Major General |
| Battles/wars | |
Major-General Robert Overton c. 1609 to 1678, was a member of the landed gentry from Yorkshire, who fought for Parliament during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and reached the rank of Major General in 1652. A committed republican and religious Independent who sympathised with the Fifth Monarchists, like others with similar views he opposed the establishment of The Protectorate, and was held in the Tower of London from 1655 to 1659.
Since he was not one of the regicides of Charles I, Overton escaped punishment following the May 1660 Stuart Restoration, but was arrested for sedition in December. Apart from a few brief spells of freedom, he was not finally released until 1671, after which he lived with his daughter in Seaton, Rutland, where he died at the end of 1678.
A close friend of the poet John Milton, Overton was the author of various articles and pamphlets, as well as poetry written for his wife Anne. Despite his strong views, he was a political realist whose religious beliefs helped him endure long periods of imprisonment, once noting that “There are given to us exceeding great and precious promises; if in patience we possess our spirits, we shall inherit the promises".[1]