JOHN OVERTON

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  John Overton (April 9, 1766 – April 12, 1833) was an advisor of Andrew Jackson, a judge at the Superior Court of Tennessee, a banker and political leader. Overton was born in Louisa County, Virginia. His parents were James Overton and MaryWaller; his father was a great-grandson of Robert Overton, the Parliamentarian military commander during the English Civil War (and friend of Marvell and Milton). In 1787 he began his law career and moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1789, to practice law at the Davidson County court. Overton was elected to succeed his friend Andrew Jackson as a member of the Superior Court of Tennessee in 1804, where he served as a judge until 1810. His elder brother Thomas Overton served as Jackson's second in his duel with Charles Dickinson. In 1819, Overton founded Memphis, Tennessee on land he owned with Andrew Jackson and James Winchester. Overton Park in Memphis is named for him. He was also Andrew Jackson's presidential campaign manager. On April 12, 1833, John Overton died at Travellers Rest, his Nashville home. The nearby John Overton Comprehensive High School, located just across railroad tracks that abut the property, is named for him. Overton was married to Mary McConnell White, the daughter of Knoxville founder, James White. John Overton is another famous person buried in Nashville's Mount Olivet Cemetery.

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