First found in Cheshire where they were seated from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the oppurtunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Overton or a variant listed above: John Overton and his wife Mary, who came to Virginia in 1654; John Overton, who settled in Barbados in 1693; as well as Robert and Sam UEL Overton, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1850..

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