Richard Overton lived from 1599 to the year 1664. He was a British pamphleteer famous for the booklets he made throughout the English revolution. He was very controversial and his works were respected because of the courage they demonstrated.
Very little information is known about the authors early life. He enrolled at the Queens College. The college was in Cambridge. Later he became a playwright as well as an actor in Southwark. Nothing much is known about his activities during these early days. He started becoming famous at around 1640. His pamphlets started to circulate during this time. His works were very satirical. He criticized the Catholic Church. He also criticized their Bishops. At this time he had joined the religion of General Baptism.
In one of his documents titled Mans Mortalitie he put down one of his most controversial theories. His theory on religion was purely materialistic. He believed that just like the body the soul is also perishable. Both soul and body of a human being die but at the final judgement both are resurrected. Other members of the General Baptism also believed in this theory. Presbyterian Protestants from other churches criticized this line of thought because they thought it was wrong and heretical.
During the year 1645 the writer started to become more famous because of his religious pamphlets as well as political works. He also joined the Leveller Movement which fought for religious tolerance and sovereignty of the people. It is not very clear but it is thought that William Walwyn alongside Richard Overton wrote The Remonstrance of Many Thousand Citizens. This is one of the Leveller Movements best pieces about their arguments.
In 1646 when John Liburne was in prison the author wrote a diatribe for him fighting for his release. This earned him a jail sentence. He was imprisoned because the diatribe he wrote was taken as a criminal act. Newgate Prison was the jail where he served his sentence. He went on writing despite being behind bars. He continued his spirited fight for rights and freedoms of people.
He was set free from the Newgate prison in the year 1647. Immediately he came out he joined with the Leveller mutineers. The mutineers were fighting against the Grandees who stood for the landed gentry during the civil war in England. The Grandees overpowered the Leveller mutiny and crashed them.
For the second time the author was sent to prison in the year 1649. He was back in jail because he could not stop writing political booklets about his opinions. The Government considered his work as treason and thus sentenced him to another jail term. He was freed later on in the year.
After his second term in prison he still went on advocating for change in Government. He was against monarchy and wanted it abolished because he believed in sovereignty. He wrote more pamphlets talking about equality and the rights of the individual. It is not known how Richard Overton spent his last years. This information is not documented anywhere.
Very little information is known about the authors early life. He enrolled at the Queens College. The college was in Cambridge. Later he became a playwright as well as an actor in Southwark. Nothing much is known about his activities during these early days. He started becoming famous at around 1640. His pamphlets started to circulate during this time. His works were very satirical. He criticized the Catholic Church. He also criticized their Bishops. At this time he had joined the religion of General Baptism.
In one of his documents titled Mans Mortalitie he put down one of his most controversial theories. His theory on religion was purely materialistic. He believed that just like the body the soul is also perishable. Both soul and body of a human being die but at the final judgement both are resurrected. Other members of the General Baptism also believed in this theory. Presbyterian Protestants from other churches criticized this line of thought because they thought it was wrong and heretical.
During the year 1645 the writer started to become more famous because of his religious pamphlets as well as political works. He also joined the Leveller Movement which fought for religious tolerance and sovereignty of the people. It is not very clear but it is thought that William Walwyn alongside Richard Overton wrote The Remonstrance of Many Thousand Citizens. This is one of the Leveller Movements best pieces about their arguments.
In 1646 when John Liburne was in prison the author wrote a diatribe for him fighting for his release. This earned him a jail sentence. He was imprisoned because the diatribe he wrote was taken as a criminal act. Newgate Prison was the jail where he served his sentence. He went on writing despite being behind bars. He continued his spirited fight for rights and freedoms of people.
He was set free from the Newgate prison in the year 1647. Immediately he came out he joined with the Leveller mutineers. The mutineers were fighting against the Grandees who stood for the landed gentry during the civil war in England. The Grandees overpowered the Leveller mutiny and crashed them.
For the second time the author was sent to prison in the year 1649. He was back in jail because he could not stop writing political booklets about his opinions. The Government considered his work as treason and thus sentenced him to another jail term. He was freed later on in the year.
After his second term in prison he still went on advocating for change in Government. He was against monarchy and wanted it abolished because he believed in sovereignty. He wrote more pamphlets talking about equality and the rights of the individual. It is not known how Richard Overton spent his last years. This information is not documented anywhere.
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