SKEALS
Spurn Kilnsea and Easington Area Local Studies
John Overton - Age Unknown
The marble tablet in Easington Church to the memory of John and Joan Overton. Photograph courtesy of P. Crowther (2007)
The inscription on the tablet reads;
THIS MONUMENT SPEAKS THE MEMORY OF THE DECEASED
BUT NEVER TO BE DIVIDED JOHN OVERTON ESQ AND JOAN
HIS WIFE WHO LIVED BELOVED AND DIED LAMENTED
THEIR SACRED DUST ONE GRAVE CONTAINS UNTIL THE TRUMP OF
GLORY SHALL UNITE THEIR BODIES TO THEIR SOULS
PRETIO PRUDENTIA PRAESTAT
NE FAMAM PERIMAT MARMOR LONGAEVA VETUSTAS
VENTURIS MEMORA NOMINA GESTA VIRIS
NON OPUS HAEC ARTIS CONATU PINGERE TANTO
INCLYTA VIRTUTES SUNT MONUMENTA SIBI
NIL DECORAT LONGO CENSERE SANGUINE MENTES
SED QUAE NOBILITAT MENS GENEROSA VIROS
QUID MULTISS LECTOR VERAE VIRTUTIS IMAGO
CONDITUR HIC SINE QUA STEMMATA SPRETA IACENT
BE INDEX MARBLE TO THEIR FAMES
RECORD THEIR VIRTUES WITH THEIR NAMES
WHICH ART NEEDS NOT TO REPRESENT
VIRTUE ITS OWN VIVE MONUMENT
BLOOD NOT MINDS BUT MINDS ADORN
THEIR BLOOD WHO RE BETTER THAN GREAT BORN
IF SO KNOW READER IN ONE WORD
HERES MORE THAN MADAM OR MY LORD
ROBERTUS FILIUS MAERENS
SCRIPSIT ANNO 1651
The above mentioned John Overton was born in Easington abt. 1582, the son of Christopher Overton and his wife. Daughter (nee Wright) married abt. 1574. John married Joane Snawsell (as mentioned on the plaque) in 1606 she being the daughter of John Snawsell and Katherine (nee Hansard) of Bilton, East Yorkshire.
It is recorded that probably in 1643 Easington was raided by royalists and in the course of this action, the Overtons and the village was said to have lost some £2,000. It was at this time that John Overton was captured and imprisoned by Sir Hugh Cholmley and Michael Constable.
John & Joane Overton had a son Robert, born in Easington, East Yorkshire, abt. 1609. He went on to become a Major General involved at the siege of York, the battle of Marston Moor, and the battle of Dunbar. He became Governor in Hull. He died in London in 1676.
For further information on the Overton family, Please click this link to the Overton Hall article.