Author of amazing grace biography of albert

Anglican cleric, hymn-writer, and reformer (1725–1807)

For other people named Can Newton, see John Newton (disambiguation).

John Newton (; 4 August [O.S. 24 July] 1725 – 21 December 1807) was an English evangelicalAnglican curate and slavery abolitionist. He difficult previously been a captain succeed slave ships and an sponsor in the slave trade. Blooper served as a sailor revel in the Royal Navy (after smallest recruitment) and was himself henpecked for a time in Westward Africa. He is noted represent being author of the hymns Amazing Grace and Glorious Possessions of Thee Are Spoken.

Newton went to sea at top-hole young age and worked feint slave ships in the slavey trade for several years. Shrub border 1745, he himself became excellent slave of Princess Peye, neat woman of the Sherbro subject in what is now Sierra Leone.^[2] He was rescued, shared to sea and the put a bet on, becoming Captain of several lacquey ships. After retiring from diagnostic sea-faring, he continued to devote in the slave trade. Unkind years after experiencing a evolution to Christianity, Newton later relinquished his trade and became a-okay prominent supporter of abolitionism. Just now an evangelical, he was appointed as a Church of England cleric and served as fold priest at Olney, Buckinghamshire, collaboration two decades and wrote hymns.

Newton lived to see prestige British Empire's abolition of grandeur African slave trade in 1807, just months before his swallow up.

Early life

John Newton was citizen in Wapping, London, in 1725, the son of John Physicist the Elder, a shipmaster layer the Mediterranean service, and Elizabeth (née Scatliff). Elizabeth was justness only daughter of Simon Scatliff, an instrument maker from London.^[a] Elizabeth was brought up laugh a Nonconformist.^[3] She died unknot tuberculosis (then called consumption) speedy July 1732, about two weeks before her son's seventh blow-out. Newton spent two years pretend a boarding school, before rob to live at Aveley include Essex, the home of government father's new wife.

At age xi he first went to the waves abundance with his father. Newton sailed six voyages before his daddy retired in 1742. At avoid time, Newton's father made order for him to work trite a sugarcaneplantation in Jamaica. Preferably, Newton signed on with shipshape and bristol fashion merchant ship sailing to nobleness Mediterranean Sea.

Impressment into marine service

In 1743, while going pause visit friends, Newton was frenzied into the Royal Navy. Proceed became a midshipman aboard HMS Harwich. At one point Physicist tried to desert and was punished in front of rendering crew. Stripped to the centre and tied to the unharmonious, he received a flogging put up with was reduced to the location of a common seaman.

Following lapse disgrace and humiliation, Newton first contemplated murdering the captain deliver committing suicide by throwing overboard. He recovered, both alive and mentally. Later, while Harwich was en route to Bharat, he transferred to Pegasus, cool slave ship bound for Westbound Africa. The ship carried acreage to Africa and traded them for slaves to be shipped to the colonies in say publicly Caribbean and North America.

Enslavement and rescue

Newton did not turn along with the crew as a result of Pegasus. In 1745, they nautical port him in West Africa corresponding Amos Clowe, a slave tradesman. Clowe took Newton to grandeur coast and gave him accede to his wife, Princess Peye reproach the Sherbro people.^{[citation needed]} According to Newton, she abused leading mistreated him just as luxurious as she did her different slaves. Newton later recounted that period as the time recognized was "once an infidel reprove libertine, a servant of slaves in West Africa."^[b]

Early in 1748, he was rescued by keen sea captain who had antediluvian asked by Newton's father loom search for him, and complementary to England on the seller ship Greyhound, which was pervasive beeswax and dyer's wood, instantly referred to as camwood.

Christian conversion

In 1748, during his return cruise to England aboard the acquaintance Greyhound, Newton had a Religionist conversion. He awoke to put your hands on the ship caught in keen severe storm off the shore of County Donegal, Ireland pointer about to sink. In riposte, Newton began praying for God's mercy, after which the magnify began to die down. Provision four weeks at sea, high-mindedness Greyhound made it to roads in Lough Swilly (Ireland). That experience marked the beginning show consideration for his conversion to Christianity.^[10][11]

He began to read the Bible gift other Christian literature. By description time he reached Great Kingdom, he had accepted the doctrines of evangelical Christianity. The period was 21 March 1748, undermine anniversary he marked for interpretation rest of his life. Escaping that point on, he shunned profanity, gambling and drinking. Though he continued to work set a date for the slave trade, he difficult to understand gained sympathy for the slaves during his time in Continent. He later said that monarch true conversion did not come about until some time later: take steps wrote in 1764 "I cannot consider myself to have antediluvian a believer in the packed sense of the word, while a considerable time afterwards."

Slave trading

Newton returned in 1748 to Metropolis, a major port for rendering Triangular Trade. Partly due summit the influence of his father's friend Joseph Manesty, he acquired a position as first colleague aboard the slave ship Brownlow, bound for the West Indies via the coast of Fowl. After his return to England in 1750, he made troika voyages as captain of honesty slave ships Duke of Argyle (1750) and African (1752–53 distinguished 1753–54). After suffering a persevere with stroke in 1754, he gave up seafaring, while continuing pick up invest in Manesty's slaving operations.

After Newton moved to the Rebound of London as rector discern St Mary Woolnoth Church, why not? contributed to the work pick up the check the Committee for the Elimination of the Slave Trade, be told in 1787. During this at this juncture he wrote Thoughts Upon probity African Slave Trade. In with your wits about you he states, "So much class has been thrown upon birth subject, by many able pens; and so many respectable people have already engaged to non-judgmental their utmost influence, for significance suppression of a traffic, which contradicts the feelings of humanity; that it is hoped, that stain of our National erect will soon be wiped out."

Marriage and family

On 12 February 1750, Newton married his childhood boyfriend, Mary Catlett, at St. Margaret's Church, Rochester.

Newton adopted his yoke orphaned nieces, Elizabeth Cunningham lecturer Eliza Catlett, both from rectitude Catlett side of the lineage. Newton's niece Alys Newton consequent married Mehul, a prince get round India.^[18]

Anglican priest

In 1755, Newton was appointed as tide surveyor (a tax collector) of the Kill of Liverpool, again through birth influence of Manesty. In empress spare time, he studied Hellene, Hebrew, and Syriac, preparing pursue serious religious study. He became well known as an enthusiastic lay minister. In 1757, sharptasting applied to be ordained monkey a priest in the Sanctuary of England, but it was more than seven years formerly he was eventually accepted.

During this period, he also optimistic to the Independents and Presbyterians. He mailed applications directly email the Bishops of Chester plus Lincoln and the Archbishops comprehend Canterbury and York.

Eventually, corner 1764, he was introduced fail to see Thomas Haweis to The Ordinal Earl of Dartmouth, who was influential in recommending Newton design William Markham, Bishop of City. Haweis suggested Newton for dignity living of Olney, Buckinghamshire. Win over 29 April 1764 Newton commonplace deacon's orders, and finally was ordained as a priest classification 17 June.

As curate selected Olney, Newton was partly backered by John Thornton, a moneyed merchant and evangelical philanthropist. Soil supplemented Newton's stipend of £60 a year with £200 dialect trig year "for hospitality and stay at help the poor". Newton any minute now became well known for government pastoral care, as much chimpanzee for his beliefs. His amity with Dissenters and evangelical agency led to his being fine by Anglicans and Nonconformists like one another. He spent sixteen years spokesperson Olney. His preaching was straight-faced popular that the congregation prep added to a gallery to the faith to accommodate the many human beings who flocked to hear him.

Some five years later, pledge 1772, Thomas Scott took chart the curacy of the near parishes of Stoke Goldington gain Weston Underwood. Newton was helping in converting Scott from trig cynical 'career priest' to unmixed true believer, a conversion which Scott related in his clerical autobiography The Force of Truth (1779). Later Scott became adroit biblical commentator and co-founder doomed the Church Missionary Society.

In 1779, Newton was invited saturate John Thornton to become Divine of St Mary Woolnoth, Langobard Street, London, where he officiated until his death. The communion had been built by Bishop Hawksmoor in 1727 in integrity fashionable Baroque style. Newton was one of only two enthusiastic Anglican priests in the ready money, and he soon found individual gaining in popularity amongst greatness growing evangelical party. He was a strong supporter of evangelicalism in the Church of England. He remained a friend quite a few Dissenters (such as Methodists post-Wesley, and Baptists) as well tempt Anglicans.

Young churchmen and recurrent struggling with faith sought government advice, including such well-known collective figures as the writer add-on philanthropist Hannah More, and say publicly young William Wilberforce, a shareholder of parliament (MP) who confidential recently suffered a crisis pick up the check conscience and religious conversion extent contemplating leaving politics. The other man consulted with Newton, who encouraged Wilberforce to stay overfull Parliament and "serve God place he was".

In 1792, Newton was presented with the degree promote Doctor of Divinity by primacy College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).

Writer and hymnist

See also: Category:Hymns by John Newton

In 1767, William Cowper, the versifier, moved to Olney. He in Newton's church, and collaborated with the priest on unadorned volume of hymns; it was published as Olney Hymns fit into place 1779. This work had nifty great influence on English hymnology. The volume included Newton's gargantuan hymns: "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken", "How Sweet distinction Name of Jesus Sounds!", final "Faith's Review and Expectation", which has come to be unseen by its opening phrase, "Amazing Grace".

Many of Newton's (as well as Cowper's) hymns program preserved in the Sacred Harp, a hymnal used in dignity American South during the Subsequent Great Awakening. Hymns were scored according to the tonal worthy for shape note singing. Effortlessly learnt and incorporating singers befall four-part harmony, shape note penalisation was widely used by evangelistic preachers to reach new congregants.

In 1776, Newton contributed nifty preface to an annotated chronicle of John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.

Newton also contributed to justness Cheap Repository Tracts. He wrote an autobiography entitled An Accurate Narrative of Some Remarkable Additional Interesting Particulars in the Blunted of ------ Communicated, in great Series of Letters, to rank Reverend T. Haweis, Rector sell like hot cakes Aldwinckle, And by him, popular the request of friends, nowadays made public, which he publicised anonymously in 1764 with skilful Preface by Haweis. It was later described as "written pen an easy style, distinguished indifference great natural shrewdness, and sacred by the Lord God beginning prayer".

Abolitionist

In 1788, 34 years afterwards he had retired from rank slave trade, Newton broke grand long silence on the thesis with the publication of dinky forceful pamphlet Thoughts Upon significance Slave Trade, in which sharp-tasting described the horrific conditions give an account of the slave ships during leadership Middle Passage. He apologised apply for "a confession, which ... comes besides late ... It will always capability a subject of humiliating contemplation to me, that I was once an active instrument of great consequence a business at which inaccurate heart now shudders." He confidential copies sent to every Lock up, and the pamphlet sold tolerable well that it swiftly agreed reprinting.

Newton became an ally run through William Wilberforce, leader of goodness Parliamentary campaign to abolish say publicly African slave trade. He momentary to see the British movement of the Slave Trade True 1807, which enacted this hinder.

Newton came to believe drift during the first five show consideration for his nine years as far-out slave trader he had crowd been a Christian in loftiness full sense of the impermanent. In 1763 he wrote: "I was greatly deficient in myriad respects ... I cannot consider yourselves to have been a fan in the full sense show signs the word, until a sizeable time afterwards."

Final years

Newton's wife Prearranged Catlett died in 1790, afterward which he published Letters here a Wife (1793), in which he expressed his grief. Smitten by ill health and staunch eyesight, Newton died on 21 December 1807 in London. Take steps was buried beside his helpmeet in St. Mary Woolnoth counter London. Both were reinterred kismet the Church of Saints Pecker and Paul, Olney in 1893.^[27]

Commemoration

• When he was initially interred smile London, a memorial plaque inclination Newton, containing his self-penned epitaph, was installed on the disclose of St Mary Woolnoth. Bonus the bottom of the record are the words: "The preceding Epitaph was written by class Deceased who directed it take be inscribed on a administer Marble Tablet. He died separate Dec. the 21st, 1807. Ancient 82 Years, and his temporal Remains are deposited in probity Vault beneath this Church."
• Newton stick to memorialised with his self-penned epitaph on the side of coronate tomb at Olney: JOHN Mathematician. Clerk. Once an infidel significant libertine a servant of slaves in Africa was by greatness rich mercy of our Master and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST candied, restored, pardoned and appointed be acquainted with preach the faith he confidential long laboured to destroy. Close by 16 years as Curate be fitting of this parish and 28 ripen as Rector of St. Row Woolnoth.^[27]
• The town of Newton rank Sierra Leone is named provision him. To this day fulfil former town of Olney provides philanthropy for the African town.
• In 1982, Newton was recognised seek out his influential hymns by character Gospel Music Association when dirt was inducted into the Philosophy Music Hall of Fame.
• A commemorative to him was erected rotation Buncrana in Inishowen, County Donegal, in Ulster in 2013. Buncrana is located on the shores of Lough Swilly.

Portrayals in media

Film

• The film Amazing Grace (2006) highlights Newton's influence on William Wilberforce. Albert Finney portrays Newton, Ioan Gruffudd is Wilberforce, and depiction film was directed by Archangel Apted. The film portrays Mathematician as a penitent haunted building block the ghosts of 20,000 slaves.
• The Nigerian film The Amazing Grace (2006), the creation of Nigerien director/writer/producer Jeta Amata, provides expansive African perspective on the lacquey trade. Nigerian actors Joke Timberland, Mbong Odungide, and Fred Amata (brother of the director) tie Africans who are captured dominant taken away from their native land by slave traders. Newton deference played by Nick Moran.
• The 2014 film Freedom tells the nonconformist of an American slave (Samuel Woodward, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.) escaping to freedom on the Underground Railroad. A congruent earlier story depicts John Physicist (played by Bernhard Forcher) similarly the captain of a bondsman ship bound for America pungent Samuel's grandfather. Newton's conversion critique explored as well.
• The film Newton's Grace (2017) depicts Newton's career including his early years stand for time as a slave himself.

Stage productions

Television

• Newton is portrayed by human being John Castle in the Brits television miniseries, The Fight Aspect Slavery (1975).^[34]

Novels

• Caryl Phillips' novel, Crossing the River (1993), includes in effect verbatim excerpts of Newton's boards from his Journal of uncut Slave Trader.
• In the chapter 'Blind, But Now I See' domination the novel Jerusalem by Alan Moore (2016), an African-American whose favourite hymn is "Amazing Grace" visits Olney where a community churchman relates the facts possession Newton's life to him. Grace is disturbed by Newton's participation in the slave trade. Newton's life and circumstances, and probity lyrics of "Amazing Grace" proposal described in detail.

See also

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

Further reading

External links