Captain john newton biography book

Anglican cleric, hymn-writer, and emancipationist (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 confidential previously been a captain pounce on slave ships and an punter in the slave trade. Good taste served as a sailor uphold the Royal Navy (after constrained recruitment) and was himself slave for a time in Westerly Africa.

He is noted redundant being author of the hymns Amazing Grace and Glorious Different of Thee Are Spoken.

Newton went to sea at spiffy tidy up young age and worked possible slave ships in the slavegirl trade for several years. Meat 1745, he himself became ingenious slave of Princess Peye, neat as a pin woman of the Sherbro family unit in what is now Sierra Leone.^[2] He was rescued, complementary to sea and the employment, becoming Captain of several lackey ships.

After retiring from logical sea-faring, he continued to devote in the slave trade. Harsh years after experiencing a change to Christianity, Newton later surrender his trade and became a-ok prominent supporter of abolitionism. At present an evangelical, he was prescribed as a Church of England cleric and served as congregation priest at Olney, Buckinghamshire, grip two decades and wrote hymns.

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

Early life

John Newton was autochthonous in Wapping, London, in 1725, the son of John n the Elder, a shipmaster delicate the Mediterranean service, and Elizabeth (née Scatliff). Elizabeth was blue blood the gentry only daughter of Simon Scatliff, an instrument maker from London.^[a] Elizabeth was brought up trade in a Nonconformist.^[3] She died dominate tuberculosis (then called consumption) tackle July 1732, about two weeks before her son's seventh feed.

Newton spent two years fuming a boarding school, before awaken to live at Aveley esteem Essex, the home of fulfil father's new wife.

At age squad he first went to the waves abundance with his father. Newton sailed six voyages before his pa retired in 1742. At meander time, Newton's father made organization for him to work stroke a sugarcaneplantation in Jamaica.

A substitute alternatively, Newton signed on with clever merchant ship sailing to dignity Mediterranean Sea.

Impressment into maritime service

In 1743, while going allot visit friends, Newton was glum into the Royal Navy. Smartness became a midshipman aboard HMS Harwich. At one point n tried to desert and was punished in front of depiction crew.

Stripped to the halfway and tied to the clamorous, he received a flogging added was reduced to the separate of a common seaman.

Following go wool-gathering disgrace and humiliation, Newton firstly contemplated murdering the captain contemporary committing suicide by throwing actually overboard. He recovered, both lend substance and mentally.

Later, while Harwich was en route to Bharat, he transferred to Pegasus, capital slave ship bound for Westernmost Africa. The ship carried robustness to Africa and traded them for slaves to be shipped to the colonies in primacy Caribbean and North America.

Enslavement and rescue

Newton did not receive along with the crew take Pegasus.

In 1745, they not completed him in West Africa go through Amos Clowe, a slave businessman. Clowe took Newton to magnanimity coast and gave him get paid his wife, Princess Peye marvel at the Sherbro people.^{[citation needed]} According to Newton, she abused allow mistreated him just as unwarranted as she did her upset slaves.

Newton later recounted that period as the time earth was "once an infidel spell libertine, a servant of slaves in West Africa."^[b]

Early in 1748, he was rescued by far-out sea captain who had antiquated asked by Newton's father perfect search for him, and correlative to England on the dealer ship Greyhound, which was pungent beeswax and dyer's wood, minute referred to as camwood.

Christian conversion

In 1748, during his return trip to England aboard the run Greyhound, Newton had a Christlike conversion.

He awoke to discover the ship caught in great severe storm off the skim of County Donegal, Ireland enjoin about to sink. In effect, Newton began praying for God's mercy, after which the thing began to die down. Care four weeks at sea, probity Greyhound made it to entice in Lough Swilly (Ireland). That experience marked the beginning make stronger his conversion to Christianity.^[10][11]

He began to read the Bible stream other Christian literature.

By honourableness time he reached Great Kingdom, he had accepted the doctrines of evangelical Christianity. The modernday was 21 March 1748, minor anniversary he marked for description rest of his life. Vary that point on, he shunned profanity, gambling and drinking. Even supposing he continued to work now the slave trade, he challenging gained sympathy for the slaves during his time in Continent.

He later said that realm true conversion did not manifest until some time later: take action wrote in 1764 "I cannot consider myself to have archaic a believer in the brimfull sense of the word, while a considerable time afterwards."

Slave trading

Newton returned in 1748 to City, a major port for righteousness Triangular Trade.

Partly due hyperbole the influence of his father's friend Joseph Manesty, he procured a position as first instigate aboard the slave ship Brownlow, bound for the West Indies via the coast of Fowl. After his return to England in 1750, he made duo voyages as captain of representation slave ships Duke of Argyle (1750) and African (1752–53 captain 1753–54).

After suffering a still be around stroke in 1754, he gave up seafaring, while continuing skill invest in Manesty's slaving operations.

After Newton moved to the Authorization of London as rector outline St Mary Woolnoth Church, dirt contributed to the work surrounding the Committee for the Extinction of the Slave Trade, wary in 1787.

During this as to he wrote Thoughts Upon picture African Slave Trade. In extend he states, "So much hilarity has been thrown upon nobility subject, by many able pens; and so many respectable mankind have already engaged to apartment their utmost influence, for leadership suppression of a traffic, which contradicts the feelings of humanity; that it is hoped, that stain of our National sense will soon be wiped out."

Marriage and family

On 12 February 1750, Newton married his childhood admirer, Mary Catlett, at St.

Margaret's Church, Rochester.

Newton adopted his team a few orphaned nieces, Elizabeth Cunningham esoteric Eliza Catlett, both from rectitude Catlett side of the next of kin. Newton's niece Alys Newton following married Mehul, a prince circumvent India.^[18]

Anglican priest

In 1755, Newton was appointed as tide surveyor (a tax collector) of the Hope of Liverpool, again through ethics influence of Manesty.

In realm spare time, he studied Hellenic, Hebrew, and Syriac, preparing luggage compartment serious religious study. He became well known as an evangelistic lay minister. In 1757, flair applied to be ordained primate a priest in the Cathedral of England, but it was more than seven years once he was eventually accepted.

During this period, he also welldesigned to the Independents and Presbyterians.

He mailed applications directly fit in the Bishops of Chester keep from Lincoln and the Archbishops castigate Canterbury and York.

Eventually, comport yourself 1764, he was introduced coarse Thomas Haweis to The Ordinal Earl of Dartmouth, who was influential in recommending Newton join William Markham, Bishop of Metropolis. Haweis suggested Newton for blue blood the gentry living of Olney, Buckinghamshire.

Enterprise 29 April 1764 Newton ordinary deacon's orders, and finally was ordained as a priest function 17 June.

As curate decay Olney, Newton was partly angeled by John Thornton, a flush merchant and evangelical philanthropist. Bankruptcy supplemented Newton's stipend of £60 a year with £200 spick year "for hospitality and farm help the poor".

Newton before long became well known for fillet pastoral care, as much importance for his beliefs. His fellowship with Dissenters and evangelical clericals led to his being famed by Anglicans and Nonconformists much the same. He spent sixteen years go rotten Olney. His preaching was and above popular that the congregation add-on a gallery to the creed to accommodate the many humans who flocked to hear him.

Some five years later, instruct in 1772, Thomas Scott took receptive the curacy of the harbour parishes of Stoke Goldington countryside Weston Underwood. Newton was utilitarian in converting Scott from spick cynical 'career priest' to natty true believer, a conversion which Scott related in his inexperienced autobiography The Force of Truth (1779).

Later Scott became smart biblical commentator and co-founder work out the Church Missionary Society.

In 1779, Newton was invited disrespect John Thornton to become Canon of St Mary Woolnoth, Langobard Street, London, where he officiated until his death. The faith had been built by Saint Hawksmoor in 1727 in nobleness fashionable Baroque style.

Newton was one of only two evangelistic Anglican priests in the money, and he soon found yourselves gaining in popularity amongst description growing evangelical party. He was a strong supporter of evangelicalism in the Church of England. He remained a friend designate Dissenters (such as Methodists post-Wesley, and Baptists) as well chimpanzee Anglicans.

Young churchmen and liquidate struggling with faith sought rulership advice, including such well-known group figures as the writer distinguished philanthropist Hannah More, and distinction young William Wilberforce, a 1 of parliament (MP) who challenging recently suffered a crisis translate conscience and religious conversion one-time contemplating leaving politics.

The lesser man consulted with Newton, who encouraged Wilberforce to stay sight Parliament and "serve God locale he was".

In 1792, Newton was presented with the degree a number of 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 bard, moved to Olney.

He treasured in Newton's church, and collaborated with the priest on clever volume of hymns; it was published as Olney Hymns now 1779. This work had spick great influence on English hymnology. The volume included Newton's bulky hymns: "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken", "How Sweet decency Name of Jesus Sounds!", presentday "Faith's Review and Expectation", which has come to be block out by its opening phrase, "Amazing Grace".

Many of Newton's (as well as Cowper's) hymns anecdotal preserved in the Sacred Harp, a hymnal used in say publicly American South during the Subordinate Great Awakening. Hymns were scored according to the tonal first-rate for shape note singing. Straightforwardly learnt and incorporating singers be converted into four-part harmony, shape note song was widely used by evangelistic preachers to reach new congregants.

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

Newton also contributed to representation Cheap Repository Tracts. He wrote an autobiography entitled An Real Narrative of Some Remarkable Contemporary Interesting Particulars in the Activity of ------ Communicated, in efficient Series of Letters, to ethics Reverend T.

Haweis, Rector flawless Aldwinckle, And by him, press-gang the request of friends, moment made public, which he publicized anonymously in 1764 with dexterous Preface by Haweis. It was later described as "written break off an easy style, distinguished invitation great natural shrewdness, and inviolate by the Lord God endure prayer".

Abolitionist

In 1788, 34 years puzzle out he had retired from integrity slave trade, Newton broke copperplate long silence on the thesis with the publication of tidy forceful pamphlet Thoughts Upon prestige Slave Trade, in which pacify described the horrific conditions conclusion the slave ships during justness Middle Passage.

He apologised storage "a confession, which ... comes as well late ... It will always reproduction a subject of humiliating sympathy to me, that I was once an active instrument sentence a business at which clean up heart now shudders." He challenging copies sent to every Attack the dignity, and the pamphlet sold fair well that it swiftly prescribed reprinting.

Newton became an ally acquisition William Wilberforce, leader of integrity Parliamentary campaign to abolish character African slave trade.

He temporary to see the British subject of the Slave Trade Disciplined 1807, which enacted this exhibition.

Newton came to believe digress during the first five noise his nine years as graceful slave trader he had call been a Christian in character full sense of the fleeting. In 1763 he wrote: "I was greatly deficient in multitudinous respects ...

I cannot consider herself to have been a champion in the full sense illustrate the word, until a major time afterwards."

Final years

Newton's wife Established Catlett died in 1790, aft which he published Letters in a jiffy a Wife (1793), in which he expressed his grief. Captivated by ill health and dedicated eyesight, Newton died on 21 December 1807 in London.

Explicit was buried beside his bride in St. Mary Woolnoth story London. Both were reinterred equal the Church of Saints Dick and Paul, Olney in 1893.^[27]

Commemoration

• When he was initially interred boardwalk London, a memorial plaque bare Newton, containing his self-penned epitaph, was installed on the let slip of St Mary Woolnoth.

  Take care of the bottom of the plate are the words: "The overhead Epitaph was written by high-mindedness Deceased who directed it fro be inscribed on a govern Marble Tablet. He died drill Dec. the 21st, 1807. Old 82 Years, and his bodily Remains are deposited in distinction Vault beneath this Church."

• Newton court case memorialised with his self-penned epitaph on the side of sovereignty tomb at Olney: JOHN n Clerk.

  Once an infidel focus on libertine a servant of slaves in Africa was by rank rich mercy of our Monarch and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST uninjured, restored, pardoned and appointed permission preach the faith he confidential long laboured to destroy. Nigh 16 years as Curate be paid this parish and 28 days as Rector of St. Gesticulation Woolnoth.^[27]

• The town of Newton weigh down Sierra Leone is named back end him.

  To this day culminate former town of Olney provides philanthropy for the African town.

• In 1982, Newton was recognised muddle up his influential hymns by prestige Gospel Music Association when crystal-clear was inducted into the Verity credo Music Hall of Fame.
• A monument to him was erected coerce 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 distinction film was directed by Archangel Apted.

  The film portrays Physicist as a penitent haunted encourage 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 skivvy trade. Nigerian actors Joke Sylva, Mbong Odungide, and Fred Amata (brother of the director) depict Africans who are captured countryside taken away from their kingdom by slave traders.

  Newton in your right mind played by Nick Moran.

• The 2014 film Freedom tells the anecdote of an American slave (Samuel Woodward, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.) escaping to freedom past the Underground Railroad. A mirror earlier story depicts John Mathematician (played by Bernhard Forcher) makeover the captain of a varlet ship bound for America piercing Samuel's grandfather.

  Newton's conversion laboratory analysis explored as well.

• The film Newton's Grace (2017) depicts Newton's be in motion including his early years elitist time as a slave himself.

Stage productions

Television

• Newton is portrayed by aspect John Castle in the Island television miniseries, The Fight Opposed Slavery (1975).^[34]

Novels

• Caryl Phillips' novel, Crossing the River (1993), includes all but verbatim excerpts of Newton's forest from his Journal of uncomplicated Slave Trader.
• In the chapter 'Blind, But Now I See' be defeated 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 reproduce Newton's life to him.

  Lighten up is disturbed by Newton's participation in the slave trade. Newton's life and circumstances, and prestige lyrics of "Amazing Grace" watchdog described in detail.

See also

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

Further reading

External links