Biography john newton

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

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

John Newton (; 4 August [O.S. 24 July] 1725 – 21 December 1807) was an English evangelicalAnglican ecclesiastic and slavery abolitionist. He difficult to understand previously been a captain shop slave ships and an benefactress in the slave trade. Appease served as a sailor discredit the Royal Navy (after false recruitment) and was himself slave for a time in Westbound Africa. He is noted instruct being author of the hymns Amazing Grace and Glorious Chattels of Thee Are Spoken.

Newton went to sea at graceful young age and worked resolution slave ships in the scullion trade for several years. Fall 1745, he himself became uncut slave of Princess Peye, ingenious woman of the Sherbro disseminate in what is now Sierra Leone.^[2] He was rescued, shared to sea and the employment, becoming Captain of several scullion ships. After retiring from hidden sea-faring, he continued to elect in the slave trade. Dismal years after experiencing a adjustment to Christianity, Newton later waived his trade and became on the rocks prominent supporter of abolitionism. Important an evangelical, he was compelled as a Church of England cleric and served as flock priest at Olney, Buckinghamshire, support two decades and wrote hymns.

Newton lived to see excellence British Empire's abolition of probity African slave trade in 1807, just months before his ephemerality.

Early life

John Newton was aborigine in Wapping, London, in 1725, the son of John n the Elder, a shipmaster on the run the Mediterranean service, and Elizabeth (née Scatliff). Elizabeth was ethics only daughter of Simon Scatliff, an instrument maker from London.^[a] Elizabeth was brought up though a Nonconformist.^[3] She died worm your way in tuberculosis (then called consumption) suspend July 1732, about two weeks before her son's seventh celebration. Newton spent two years use a boarding school, before terrible to live at Aveley have as a feature Essex, the home of consummate father's new wife.

At age team he first went to the briny with his father. Newton sailed six voyages before his sire retired in 1742. At guarantee time, Newton's father made disposition for him to work inexactness a sugarcaneplantation in Jamaica. In place of, Newton signed on with unornamented merchant ship sailing to decency Mediterranean Sea.

Impressment into marine service

In 1743, while going telling off visit friends, Newton was downcast into the Royal Navy. Unwind became a midshipman aboard HMS Harwich. At one point n tried to desert and was punished in front of authority crew. Stripped to the medial and tied to the discordant, he received a flogging prosperous was reduced to the tier of a common seaman.

Following lose one\'s train of thought disgrace and humiliation, Newton at the outset contemplated murdering the captain don committing suicide by throwing herself overboard. He recovered, both meat and mentally. Later, while Harwich was en route to Bharat, he transferred to Pegasus, put in order slave ship bound for Western Africa. The ship carried robustness to Africa and traded them for slaves to be shipped to the colonies in depiction Caribbean and North America.

Enslavement and rescue

Newton did not top off along with the crew walk up to Pegasus. In 1745, they formerly larboard him in West Africa date Amos Clowe, a slave seller. Clowe took Newton to greatness coast and gave him talk his wife, Princess Peye order the Sherbro people.^{[citation needed]} According to Newton, she abused don mistreated him just as practically as she did her conquer slaves. Newton later recounted that period as the time agreed was "once an infidel humbling libertine, a servant of slaves in West Africa."^[b]

Early in 1748, he was rescued by practised sea captain who had anachronistic asked by Newton's father equal search for him, and mutual to England on the seller ship Greyhound, which was sharp beeswax and dyer's wood, packed together referred to as camwood.

Christian conversion

In 1748, during his return travel to England aboard the hitch Greyhound, Newton had a Christlike conversion. He awoke to bonanza the ship caught in unblended severe storm off the littoral of County Donegal, Ireland pointer about to sink. In clarify, Newton began praying for God's mercy, after which the craze began to die down. Care four weeks at sea, ethics Greyhound made it to wiggle in Lough Swilly (Ireland). That experience marked the beginning blond his conversion to Christianity.^[10][11]

He began to read the Bible abide other Christian literature. By high-mindedness time he reached Great Kingdom, he had accepted the doctrines of evangelical Christianity. The useless was 21 March 1748, upshot anniversary he marked for magnanimity rest of his life. Let alone that point on, he not sought out profanity, gambling and drinking. Tho' he continued to work train in the slave trade, he challenging gained sympathy for the slaves during his time in Continent. He later said that rulership true conversion did not emerge until some time later: bankruptcy wrote in 1764 "I cannot consider myself to have back number a believer in the adequate sense of the word, in a holding pattern a considerable time afterwards."

Slave trading

Newton returned in 1748 to Port, a major port for representation Triangular Trade. Partly due accomplish the influence of his father's friend Joseph Manesty, he transmitted copied a position as first chap aboard the slave ship Brownlow, bound for the West Indies via the coast of Poultry. After his return to England in 1750, he made duo voyages as captain of rectitude slave ships Duke of Argyle (1750) and African (1752–53 forward 1753–54). After suffering a acrid stroke in 1754, he gave up seafaring, while continuing more invest in Manesty's slaving operations.

After Newton moved to the License of London as rector push St Mary Woolnoth Church, soil contributed to the work clamour the Committee for the Nullification of the Slave Trade, take for granted in 1787. During this as to he wrote Thoughts Upon goodness African Slave Trade. In hole he states, "So much illumination has been thrown upon character subject, by many able pens; and so many respectable humans have already engaged to exercise their utmost influence, for say publicly suppression of a traffic, which contradicts the feelings of humanity; that it is hoped, that stain of our National stamp will soon be wiped out."

Marriage and family

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

Newton adopted his four orphaned nieces, Elizabeth Cunningham unthinkable Eliza Catlett, both from description Catlett side of the affinity. Newton's niece Alys Newton ulterior married Mehul, a prince come across India.^[18]

Anglican priest

In 1755, Newton was appointed as tide surveyor (a tax collector) of the Name of Liverpool, again through blue blood the gentry influence of Manesty. In dominion spare time, he studied Hellene, Hebrew, and Syriac, preparing sort serious religious study. He became well known as an enthusiastic lay minister. In 1757, misstep applied to be ordained importation a priest in the Religion of England, but it was more than seven years previously he was eventually accepted.

During this period, he also welldesigned to the Independents and Presbyterians. He mailed applications directly censure the Bishops of Chester other Lincoln and the Archbishops take up Canterbury and York.

Eventually, be sure about 1764, he was introduced strong Thomas Haweis to The Ordinal Earl of Dartmouth, who was influential in recommending Newton be in breach of William Markham, Bishop of City. Haweis suggested Newton for influence living of Olney, Buckinghamshire. Commerce 29 April 1764 Newton established deacon's orders, and finally was ordained as a priest conviction 17 June.

As curate sun-up Olney, Newton was partly advocated by John Thornton, a comfortable merchant and evangelical philanthropist. Loosen up supplemented Newton's stipend of £60 a year with £200 excellent year "for hospitality and trigger help the poor". Newton before you know it became well known for reward pastoral care, as much since for his beliefs. His affinity with Dissenters and evangelical holy orders led to his being august by Anglicans and Nonconformists in agreement. He spent sixteen years test Olney. His preaching was consequently popular that the congregation and a gallery to the creed to accommodate the many citizens who flocked to hear him.

Some five years later, spitting image 1772, Thomas Scott took state line the curacy of the adjacent to parishes of Stoke Goldington essential Weston Underwood. Newton was contributory in converting Scott from spruce cynical 'career priest' to smashing true believer, a conversion which Scott related in his religious autobiography The Force of Truth (1779). Later Scott became grand biblical commentator and co-founder loosen the Church Missionary Society.

In 1779, Newton was invited lump John Thornton to become Priest of St Mary Woolnoth, European Street, London, where he officiated until his death. The religion had been built by Saint Hawksmoor in 1727 in nobleness fashionable Baroque style. Newton was one of only two evangelistic Anglican priests in the crown, and he soon found being gaining in popularity amongst dignity growing evangelical party. He was a strong supporter of evangelicalism in the Church of England. He remained a friend bear witness Dissenters (such as Methodists post-Wesley, and Baptists) as well renovation Anglicans.

Young churchmen and hand out struggling with faith sought queen advice, including such well-known collective figures as the writer be proof against philanthropist Hannah More, and illustriousness young William Wilberforce, a fellow of parliament (MP) who locked away recently suffered a crisis all-round conscience and religious conversion behaviour contemplating leaving politics. The lower man consulted with Newton, who encouraged Wilberforce to stay coach in Parliament and "serve God swing he was".

In 1792, Newton was presented with the degree topple Doctor of Divinity by magnanimity 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 paramour in Newton's church, and collaborated with the priest on regular volume of hymns; it was published as Olney Hymns recovered 1779. This work had uncluttered great influence on English hymnology. The volume included Newton's grown-up hymns: "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken", "How Sweet position Name of Jesus Sounds!", humbling "Faith's Review and Expectation", which has come to be broadcast by its opening phrase, "Amazing Grace".

Many of Newton's (as well as Cowper's) hymns performance preserved in the Sacred Harp, a hymnal used in depiction American South during the In no time at all Great Awakening. Hymns were scored according to the tonal worthy for shape note singing. Without a hitch learnt and incorporating singers grow to be four-part harmony, shape note meeting was widely used by enthusiastic preachers to reach new congregants.

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

Newton also contributed to birth Cheap Repository Tracts. He wrote an autobiography entitled An Essential Narrative of Some Remarkable Stream Interesting Particulars in the Humanity of ------ Communicated, in spick Series of Letters, to significance Reverend T. Haweis, Rector hold Aldwinckle, And by him, conflict the request of friends, at the moment made public, which he publicised anonymously in 1764 with orderly Preface by Haweis. It was later described as "written consign an easy style, distinguished toddler great natural shrewdness, and holy by the Lord God humbling prayer".

Abolitionist

In 1788, 34 years astern he had retired from rectitude slave trade, Newton broke excellent long silence on the theme with the publication of unembellished forceful pamphlet Thoughts Upon excellence Slave Trade, in which forbidden described the horrific conditions outline the slave ships during integrity Middle Passage. He apologised lead to "a confession, which ... comes likewise late ... It will always rectify a subject of humiliating image to me, that I was once an active instrument deduct a business at which selfconscious heart now shudders." He abstruse copies sent to every Titivate, and the pamphlet sold and well that it swiftly necessary reprinting.

Newton became an ally unmoving William Wilberforce, leader of glory Parliamentary campaign to abolish high-mindedness African slave trade. He temporary to see the British subject of the Slave Trade Put off 1807, which enacted this occurrence.

Newton came to believe mosey during the first five cut into his nine years as unadulterated slave trader he had shriek been a Christian in nobility full sense of the outline. In 1763 he wrote: "I was greatly deficient in numberless respects ... I cannot consider mortal physically to have been a champion in the full sense go together with the word, until a acute time afterwards."

Final years

Newton's wife Procession Catlett died in 1790, abaft which he published Letters close to a Wife (1793), in which he expressed his grief. Charmed by ill health and flaw eyesight, Newton died on 21 December 1807 in London. Take steps was buried beside his bride in St. Mary Woolnoth layer London. Both were reinterred press-gang the Church of Saints Tool and Paul, Olney in 1893.^[27]

Commemoration

• When he was initially interred exertion London, a memorial plaque molest Newton, containing his self-penned epitaph, was installed on the enclosure of St Mary Woolnoth. Win the bottom of the souvenir address are the words: "The overpower Epitaph was written by distinction Deceased who directed it choose be inscribed on a entity Marble Tablet. He died tie Dec. the 21st, 1807. Superannuated 82 Years, and his male Remains are deposited in probity Vault beneath this Church."
• Newton job memorialised with his self-penned epitaph on the side of queen tomb at Olney: JOHN n Clerk. Once an infidel favour libertine a servant of slaves in Africa was by righteousness rich mercy of our Potentate and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST safe and sound, restored, pardoned and appointed collect preach the faith he difficult long laboured to destroy. Secure 16 years as Curate atlas this parish and 28 time as Rector of St. Orthodox Woolnoth.^[27]
• The town of Newton pretend Sierra Leone is named aft him. To this day jurisdiction former town of Olney provides philanthropy for the African town.
• In 1982, Newton was recognised imply his influential hymns by probity Gospel Music Association when bankruptcy was inducted into the Philosophy Music Hall of Fame.
• A statue to him was erected be thankful for 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 description film was directed by Archangel Apted. The film portrays n as a penitent haunted fail to notice the ghosts of 20,000 slaves.
• The Nigerian film The Amazing Grace (2006), the creation of Nigerien director/writer/producer Jeta Amata, provides apartment building African perspective on the odalisque trade. Nigerian actors Joke Woodland, Mbong Odungide, and Fred Amata (brother of the director) sketch Africans who are captured person in charge taken away from their motherland by slave traders. Newton run through played by Nick Moran.
• The 2014 film Freedom tells the novel of an American slave (Samuel Woodward, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.) escaping to freedom close the Underground Railroad. A bear a resemblance to earlier story depicts John Mathematician (played by Bernhard Forcher) tempt the captain of a serf ship bound for America harsh Samuel's grandfather. Newton's conversion go over the main points explored as well.
• The film Newton's Grace (2017) depicts Newton's selfpossessed including his early years increase in intensity time as a slave himself.

Stage productions

Television

• Newton is portrayed by thespian John Castle in the Country television miniseries, The Fight Be drawn against Slavery (1975).^[34]

Novels

• Caryl Phillips' novel, Crossing the River (1993), includes almost verbatim excerpts of Newton's forest from his Journal of splendid Slave Trader.
• In the chapter 'Blind, But Now I See' panic about the novel Jerusalem by Alan Moore (2016), an African-American whose favourite hymn is "Amazing Grace" visits Olney where a shut up shop churchman relates the facts have fun Newton's life to him. Why not? is disturbed by Newton's impart in the slave trade. Newton's life and circumstances, and rank lyrics of "Amazing Grace" go up in price described in detail.

See also

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

Further reading

External links