I prefaced my Installment 1 with the following. In case you are familiar with these words, skip on down to Installment 2. As indicated a few days ago, I said I would share some of my notes concerning William Overton, who is probably the father of Temperance Overton Harris, wife of William Harris, believed to be the father of Robert Harris, surveyor of Louisa Co., VA. I have not proved anything but have been *surveying the literature* as my deceased research professor told us was the first step in beginning a research project. I have tried to indicate the sources in each case, and I hope you will be able to check out these sources yourself, although a trip to Richmond, VA may be necessary to find the information which is in collections in the Historical Society of Virginia, not to be confused with the Library of Virginia. I have not worked on this particular biography for some years. Look for subsequent installments. Please note that Temperance's alleged sister was Barbara Overton Winston. Many records refer to the widow Barbara Winston, who seemingly did not remarry. If the Torrence book has been digitized and is online, please notify Harris -Hunters, so that all may benefit from research. E.W.Wallace IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Digitized version of Torrence's book on the Overton family of colonial Virginia is now on HeritageQuest, which MAY be available at your local public library or at your State Library. If not available, ask your public librarian to help you find a library in your State which subscribes. Then try to obtain a card from that library, paying a fee for a library card [annual] if necessary. Armchair research is *in* these days with high gasoline prices!!! EWW Submitted by E.W.Wallace Installment 2 [some may be repetitive] Torrence gives two dates for the birthdate of William Overton because of conflict in family records of descendants. Also there was conflict in whether the husband of Barbara Overton was John or James Winston. Of William Overton, Malcolm Hart Harris has written much of the same information as cited above. Harris traces Robert Harris through land patents and court documents. He writes that "it is certain that the lands of Robert Harris lay along the headwaters of the branches of Ware Creek in New Kent County." Harris gives specific locations as shown on modern-day maps. He adds: "This land was owned by Robert Harris from prior to 1659 until after 1675/6." Harris then cites a warrant issued by Governor Sir William Berkeley to the Escheator of New Kent County. Among those appearing on the jury were Wm. Overton, Evan Jones (Overton's co-patentee in an early land patent), and Robt. Harris. About this jury composition, Harris makes these remarks: "This record confirms that Robert Harris was qualified for jury service, was a freeholder and resident of the County of New Kent. Of equal interest is the association of William Overton on this jury. "William Overton, the immigrant, was born in England 3 Dec 1638. He came to Virginia and later his betrothed, Elizabeth Waters, followed him and they were married on the deck of the ship in which she came on 24 Nov 1670 at Yorktown. They acquired land in New Kent County where they were established in 1673 when he served on the jury." Harris lists the children of William Overton and Elizabeth Waters: Elizabeth, William, Temperance (q.v.), Samuel, James, Barbara. (Malcolm Hart Harris, "Major Robert Harris (CA 1630-CA 1701) of New Kent County, Virginia: Was He Real or A Myth?" in THE VIRGINIA GENEALOGIST, V. 25, No 1, [1981] ///////////////// Of William Overton, Malcolm Hart Harris has written much of the same information as cited above. Harris traces Robert Harris through land patents and court documents. He writes that "it is certain that the lands of Robert Harris lay along the headwaters of the branches of Ware Creek in New Kent County." Harris gives specific locations as shown on modern-day maps. He adds: "This land was owned by Robert Harris from prior to 1659 until after 1675/6." Harris then cites a warrant issued by Governor Sir William Berkeley to the Escheator of New Kent County. Among those appearing on the jury were Wm. Overton, Evan Jones (Overton's co-patentee in an early land patent), and Robt. Harris. About this jury composition, Harris makes these remarks: "This record confirms that Robert Harris was qualified for jury service, was a freeholder and resident of the County of New Kent. Of equal interest is the association of William Overton on this jury. "William Overton, the immigrant, was born in England 3 Dec 1638. He came to Virginia and later his betrothed, Elizabeth Waters, followed him and they were married on the deck of the ship in which she came on 24 Nov 1670 at Yorktown. They acquired land in New Kent County where they were established in 1673 when he served on the jury." Harris lists the children of William Overton and Elizabeth Waters: Elizabeth, William, Temperance (q.v.), Samuel, James, Barbara. (Malcolm Hart Harris, "Major Robert Harris (CA 1630-CA 1701) of New Kent County, Virginia: Was He Real or A Myth?" in THE VIRGINIA GENEALOGIST, V. 25, No 1, [1981] Early Overtons in Virginia Is it possible William Overton had relatives already in the New World? One John Overton and his wife Penelope appear in the deed books of Old Rappahannock Co., VA in 1687. (Refer to Ruth & Sam Sparacio, DEED ABSTRACTS OF (OLD) RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY, VIRGINIA, 1686-1688 3 March 1686-12 November 1688 [McLean, VA: The Antient Press, 1990], p. 92) Their land was on Totuskey Creek. A recent visit in the late 1990s to England by this writer, however, indicates that Overton is a rather common place name in England. Therefore, it is conceivable that the Overton family along the James River bears no relationship to that family in Old Rapphannock Co., VA. Later Overton Family Members - 1782 There is evidence in 1782 tax list of Hanover Co., VA (formed from New Kent Co.) of the prevalence of Overton family members and evidence of the beginning use of this surname as a given name, especially for members of the Harris family. Since surnames of other families with whom the Harrises are intermarried are found in Hanover Co. also (Glen, Grubbs, Gentry, Dabney), they were probably interrelated. The following were listed in Capt John Thomson's and Thomas Price's companies of militia--list of John Lawrence, gent'n. Samuel Overton (estate) 7 whites; 69 blacks. William Overton (estate) 1 white; 29 blacks. Mildred Overton 4 whites; 3 blacks. One would deduce from the number of slaves that the Overtons were of the planter class. Overton Surnames in Northern Neck Virginia Edmond Overton and his widow Margaret Overton appear in Richmond Co., VA records: It is unknown whether Edmond Overton was related to the Overtons of Tidewater Virginia. He was deceased by 4 June 1714, Richmond Co., VA. Margt: her mark + Overton, John Rankin, and John White gave administrators bond on that date. (Ruth & Sam Sparacio, DEED ABSTRACTS OF RICHMOND COUNTY, VIRGINIA 1711-1714, Richmond County Deeds, p. 50.) Comment: Richmond Co. is not the home of the City of Richmond, which is surrounded by Henrico Co. Richmond Co. is a Northern Neck county and is closer to Washington, DC than it is to Richmond, VA. Some Descendants of Overton in Kentucky From Thomas Speed, THE POLITICAL CLUB, DANVILLE, KENTUCKY, 1786-1790, BEING AN ACCOUNT OF AN EARLY KENTUCKY SOCIETY FROM THE ORIGINAL PAPERS RECENTLY FOUND (Louisville: Filson Club Publication No. 9, 1894) "John and James Overton. At a very early day four Overton brothers came to Kentucky from Virginia. They were natives of Louisa County, Virginia. Clough Overton was killed at the battle of Blue Licks. Waller Overton settled in Fayette County. James and John Overton resided at Danville. They were sons of James Overton and grandsons of William Overton, who emigrated from England about 1670. "William, the emigrant, was a son of Colonel Overton, a distinguished soldier in the Parliamentary War. History first takes note of him a letter of October 2, 1647, from Lieutenant-General Oliver Cromwell to Sir Thomas Fairfax, General of the Parliamentary forces, recommending that Colonel Overton, then commanding a regiment in the field, be appointed Governor of Hull, an important fortress and depot of supplies. The appointment was made, and Colonel Overton remained in command of Hull and its garrison until the breaking out of the second Parliamentary War, when he again took the field, commanding a brigade at Dunbar and Inverkeithing, in which latter "mercy," as Cromwell called his victories, he won flattering mention in one of Cromwell's pious letters to Speaker Lenthal, of the House of Commons. "Colonel Overton was, however, a Presbyterian and 'friend of Milton,' as Carlyle says, and was suspected of sympathy with his brother Covenanters in his quarrel with Cromwell and the Puritans. "After the conquest of Scotland he was sent for to Whitehall and admonished; and again in December, 1654, he was sent for and questioned about a reported conspiracy to depose General Monk and place him (Colonel Overton) at the head of the army then in Scotland. The end of this last 'lecture' was a commitment to the Tower, where he probably died. "Colonel Overton's son William was born in 1638. He married Mary Waters, a young lady of Roman Catholic faith and considerable fortune, and these two, Presbyterian and Catholic, left England after the Restoration and settled in Virginia on a grant of five thousand acres in Hanover County, which they named Glen Cairn. "The following inscription on the tomb of one of their daughters is still legible: 'Here lies the body of Temperance Harris, deceased the 19th of February, 1710.' [Here is a footnote "A descendant of Mrs. Temperance Harris is Judge W. Overton Harris, of the Louisville Bar, to whom I am indebted for this account of the Overton family."] "One of their grandsons, John Overton, was an officer in the Revolutionary Army and father of the late William Overton, of Green Springs, in Louisa Co., Virginia, a country gentleman of wealth and social position, widely known for the virtues and graces which belonged to that class. [Another footnote is appended: In Wirt's Life of Patrick Henry is an account of a very interesting interview between Patrick Henry and Colonels Samuel and John Overton at the home of the latter.] "Four other grandsons were the John, James, Waller, and Clough who removed to Kentucky. Waller became a noted citizen of Fayette County, where his descendants still reside. His daughter married the celebrated lawwyer, William T. Barry, and a daughter of this marriage became the wife of Colonel James Taylor, of Newport, Kentucky. It is an interesting fact that Waller Overton was on the jury with Daniel Boone, in 1780, which escheated the lands of John Connolly, where the city of Louisville now stands. George May was the escheator of the court at Lexington, and the jury found that Connolly of his own free will had joined with the British forces. "James and John Overton were both lawyers. While they lived at Danville the practiced in the court in other parts of the State. James was sworn in as an attorney at Louisville, April 5, 1786. While both were marked men, John was destined to the greater success and distinction. "After practicing in Kentucky some years John Overton removed to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1789, where he .... [incomplete] Other Members of the Overton Family Relationships of these persons is unknown: John Pettus of Louisa Co., VA who died prior to Nov 1773 must have been descended from the Overton family or had married a woman who was a descendant. This is apparent from the names of his orphans as indicated in Louisa Co. WB 3-223. "Settlement of est. of John Pettus by Wm. Pettus, Admr. To orphans of John Pettus as follows; Samuel Overton Pettus, Ann Overton Pettus, Mary Waters Pettus, John Waters Pettus, Barbara Overton Pettus, Lucy Waters Pettus, Wm. Overton Pettus, Thomas Waters Pettus. Dated 4 Nov 1775. Signed: Saml. Ragland, George Lumsden, Thomas Minor. Rcd. 13 Nov 1773." (Nancy Chappelear and Kate Binford Hatch, ABSTRACTS OF LOUISA COUNTY VIRGINIA WILLS 1743-1801 [Washington, DC: 1964], p. 93) Miscellaneous Note: VA St Library CS71 B2268 1964 ADAMS EVE compiled & ed. by Francis Stuart Harmon, MA LLB LLD (re Banks-Bruce-Overton fams) p. 5: On Feb 5, 1806, when he was 27, George Banks (V) married Jemima Ann Overton (1789-1863) the fourth of the six daus of Rev Army Captain John Overton (IV) of Woodstock and his first wife Susanna Garland Overton (1766-1797). **************Psssst...Have you heard the news? 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