Richard Overton (c. 1599-1664) was an English pamphleteer and Leveller during the Civil War. Little is known of the early life of Overton, but he is believed to have matriculated at Queens' College, Cambridge, before working as an actor and playwright in Southwark. Here he picked up Leveller sympathies, and started publishing pamphlets against the Church of England and her bishops. Overton was persecuted by the government for his opinions, and twice imprisoned. Wikipedia
In bonds for the just rights and freedoms of the commons of England, theirs and your faithful friend and servant, Richard Overton To the high and mighty states, the knights, citizens and burgesses in parliament assembled (England's legal sovereign power) www.constitution.org/lev/eng_lev_05.htm
... thousand citizens ... ' [Richard Overton with William Walwyn's collaboration, 7 July 1646] A remonstrance of many thousand citizens and other freeborn people of England to their own House ... www.constitution.org/lev/eng_lev_04.htm
The definitive Wikipedia entry for Richard Overton. Wikipedia is the biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia on the Internet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Overton
