Person:Guthlac Overton (1)

Mentioned in the will of his son-in-law Richard Buckland as 'Goodlake Overton, late of St. John's Street, Gent., deceased'.

'Guthlac (Gutlake, Goodlake, Cuthlac or Guthlake) ... Guthlake Overton was born by 1478, for in 1535 at the i.p.m. of his brother Thomas, he is styled "Cuthlac [sic] Overton of London, gent., aged 57 years and upwards, brother and heir of Thomas Overton." '

'In 1519 Overton was styled farmer of Temple Rokeley, Wilts. [Ancient Deeds, 2/163], probably a manor of the order of St. John of Jerusalem.'

'His wife was sister to Edward Browne, preceptor of the cell of [St. John of Jerusalem] order at Swingfield, Kent, perhaps by whose influence Overton became auditor to Sir William Weston, the last prior in England of that order ... In a letter dated in Nov. 1534 Weston referred to his auditor, Guthlac Overton.'

'.. located in Clerkenwell, London.'
'... the last prior, William Weston ...'

'In another letter, dated in Sept. 1536, Weston told Cromwell that his auditor, Guthlac, was dead [L & P, H VIII, passim].'

'According to i.p.m. E 150/751/24, dated 28 May 1536, Guthlac Overton, Esq., died 20 April 1536, holding "Overton Place" and lands at Swineshead and Byker, Lincs., of Thomas West, lord de la Warre, Thomas Holand, Esq., and William Hussey, Esq. [the three principal landholders of Swineshead].'

Guthlac^C Overton (WilliamD), gentleman, royal auditor, solicitor,
and Member of Parliament, was born about 1478 (age 57 in 1535). He died
in Clerkenwell, Middlesex, on 20 April 1536.[49]
Guthlac married Olive
Browne, daughter of Robert and Isabel (Sharpe) Browne of Walcott,
Northamptonshire. Olive’s sister Isabel and her husband George Quarles
were the great-grandparents of Francis Quarles, a famous sixteenth-century
poet, whose daughter Joanna Quarles was the wife of Richard Smith of Lyme,
Connecticut, and first cousin once removed of William Quarles of Ipswich,
Massachusetts.[50]
Guthlac’s unusual name, sometimes written Cuthlac and Goodlake, suggests
a possible but unproven origin for the Overtons of Swineshead. The name is
found primarily in Lincolnshire, where St. Guthlac of Crowland (674–715)
is venerated. Crowland Abbey, which was dedicated to St. Guthlac and two
other saints, lies 22 miles south of Swineshead. Thomas Overton (sometimes
Thomas of Overton) was abbot of Crowland Abbey 1392–1417. Anthony
Overton was a monk there in 1534.[51]
Guthlac’s relationship to Thomas and
Anthony, both family names, is unknown, but a kinship seems likely.
The earliest known record of Guthlac Overton was his confirmation as one
of two auditors of the Duchy of Cornwall on 17 November 1508.[52]
Guthlac
had a long career as a royal auditor, whose charge was to examine the accounts
of the Crown. He seems to have been highly favored and held numerous
positions of trust both inside and outside of government.[53]
In 1509 he was
appointed deputy auditor for the Duchy of Lancaster south region.[54]
He was
also versed in the law. While serving as a Duchy official, he was also solicitor
to Sir John Sharpe, his wife’s uncle.[55]
He was admitted to Lincoln’s Inn on 20
August 1510.[56]
In the 1523 lay subsidy for members of the inn, Guthlac was
assessed at £100, one of the wealthiest of the fellows.[57]