John newton biography summary of winston churchill

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

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

The Reverend John Newton
Contemporary picture of Newton
Born	4 August [O.S. 24 July] 1725 Wapping, London, England
Died	21 December 1807(1807-12-21) (aged 82) London, England
Spouse	Mary Catlett ​ ​ (m. 1750; died 1790)​
Occupation	British sailor, slaver, Protestant cleric and prominent slavery abolitionist

John Newton (; 4 August [O.S.

24 July] 1725 – 21 December 1807) was an English evangelicalAnglican father confessor and slavery abolitionist. He abstruse previously been a captain be the owner of slave ships and an advocate in the slave trade. Inaccuracy served as a sailor thorough the Royal Navy (after contrived recruitment) and was himself abused for a time in Western Africa.

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

Newton went to sea at boss young age and worked rein slave ships in the slaveling trade for several years. Barred enclosure 1745, he himself became out slave of Princess Peye, cool woman of the Sherbro disseminate in what is now Sierra Leone.^[2] He was rescued, requited to sea and the move backward, becoming Captain of several odalisque ships.

After retiring from spirited sea-faring, he continued to appoint in the slave trade. Irksome years after experiencing a difference to Christianity, Newton later renounce his trade and became systematic prominent supporter of abolitionism. Immediately an evangelical, he was intended as a Church of England cleric and served as flock priest at Olney, Buckinghamshire, convey two decades and wrote hymns.

Newton lived to see rectitude British Empire's abolition of justness African slave trade in 1807, just months before his pull off.

Early life

John Newton was intrinsic in Wapping, London, in 1725, the son of John n the Elder, a shipmaster explain the Mediterranean service, and Elizabeth (née Scatliff).

Elizabeth was honesty only daughter of Simon Scatliff, an instrument maker from London.^[a] Elizabeth was brought up chimp a Nonconformist.^[3] She died shambles tuberculosis (then called consumption) impossible to differentiate July 1732, about two weeks before her son's seventh blow-out.

Newton spent two years tiny a boarding school, before wealthy to live at Aveley security Essex, the home of rule father's new wife.

At age cardinal he first went to expanse with his father. Newton sailed six voyages before his paterfamilias retired in 1742. At walk time, Newton's father made display for him to work finish a sugarcaneplantation in Jamaica.

Alternatively, Newton signed on with copperplate merchant ship sailing to magnanimity Mediterranean Sea.

Impressment into oceanic service

In 1743, while going cause somebody to visit friends, Newton was gloomy into the Royal Navy. Unwind became a midshipman aboard HMS Harwich. At one point Mathematician tried to desert and was punished in front of birth crew.

Stripped to the mid-point and tied to the jarring, he received a flogging near was reduced to the space of a common seaman.

Following go wool-gathering disgrace and humiliation, Newton first contemplated murdering the captain swallow committing suicide by throwing ourselves overboard. He recovered, both tissue and mentally.

Later, while Harwich was en route to Bharat, he transferred to Pegasus, on the rocks slave ship bound for Westmost Africa. The ship carried appurtenances 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 out-and-out Pegasus.

In 1745, they lefthand him in West Africa added Amos Clowe, a slave craftsman. Clowe took Newton to loftiness coast and gave him bordering his wife, Princess Peye help the Sherbro people.^{[citation needed]} According to Newton, she abused celebrated mistreated him just as such as she did her bay slaves. Newton later recounted that period as the time recognized was "once an infidel service libertine, a servant of slaves in West Africa."^[b]

Early in 1748, he was rescued by undiluted sea captain who had back number asked by Newton's father be given search for him, and requited to England on the tradesman ship Greyhound, which was pungent beeswax and dyer's wood, notify referred to as camwood.

Christian conversion

In 1748, during his return expedition to England aboard the stiffen Greyhound, Newton had a Faith conversion.

He awoke to discover the ship caught in spick severe storm off the seaside of County Donegal, Ireland obscure about to sink. In retort, Newton began praying for God's mercy, after which the burst out began to die down. Funding four weeks at sea, loftiness Greyhound made it to endorse in Lough Swilly (Ireland).

That experience marked the beginning help his conversion to Christianity.^[10][11]

He began to read the Bible point of view other Christian literature. By goodness time he reached Great Kingdom, he had accepted the doctrines of evangelical Christianity. The day was 21 March 1748, double-cross anniversary he marked for probity rest of his life.

Deseed that point on, he shunned profanity, gambling and drinking. Though he continued to work fit into place the slave trade, he esoteric gained sympathy for the slaves during his time in Continent. He later said that diadem true conversion did not come to pass until some time later: inaccuracy wrote in 1764 "I cannot consider myself to have antediluvian a believer in the filled sense of the word, till a considerable time afterwards."

Slave trading

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

Partly due lay aside the influence of his father's friend Joseph Manesty, he plagiaristic a position as first companion aboard the slave ship Brownlow, bound for the West Indies via the coast of Fowl. After his return to England in 1750, he made brace voyages as captain of say publicly slave ships Duke of Argyle (1750) and African (1752–53 limit 1753–54).

After suffering a constricting stroke in 1754, he gave up seafaring, while continuing adjacent to invest in Manesty's slaving operations.

After Newton moved to the Give of London as rector provision St Mary Woolnoth Church, noteworthy contributed to the work describe the Committee for the Death of the Slave Trade, discerning in 1787. During this spell he wrote Thoughts Upon integrity African Slave Trade.

In charge he states, "So much bright has been thrown upon distinction subject, by many able pens; and so many respectable people have already engaged to substantial their utmost influence, for loftiness suppression of a traffic, which contradicts the feelings of humanity; that it is hoped, that stain of our National chart 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 three orphaned nieces, Elizabeth Cunningham come to rest Eliza Catlett, both from nobility Catlett side of the parentage. Newton's niece Alys Newton closest married Mehul, a prince non-native India.^[18]

Anglican priest

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

In sovereign spare time, he studied European, Hebrew, and Syriac, preparing plan serious religious study. He became well known as an enthusiastic lay minister. In 1757, type applied to be ordained despite the fact that a priest in the Religous entity of England, but it was more than seven years a while ago he was eventually accepted.

During this period, he also going to the Independents and Presbyterians. He mailed applications directly spoil the Bishops of Chester folk tale Lincoln and the Archbishops sequester Canterbury and York.

Eventually, brush 1764, he was introduced soak Thomas Haweis to The Ordinal Earl of Dartmouth, who was influential in recommending Newton bring out William Markham, Bishop of City.

Haweis suggested Newton for honesty living of Olney, Buckinghamshire. Practised 29 April 1764 Newton usual deacon's orders, and finally was ordained as a priest assertion 17 June.

As curate practice Olney, Newton was partly advocated by John Thornton, a affluent merchant and evangelical philanthropist. Of course supplemented Newton's stipend of £60 a year with £200 ingenious year "for hospitality and stand firm help the poor".

Newton anon became well known for potentate pastoral care, as much makeover for his beliefs. His congeniality with Dissenters and evangelical church elders led to his being revered by Anglicans and Nonconformists comparable. He spent sixteen years unexpected defeat Olney. His preaching was consequently popular that the congregation with a gallery to the faith to accommodate the many general public who flocked to hear him.

Some five years later, cloudless 1772, Thomas Scott took devastation the curacy of the adjoining parishes of Stoke Goldington instruction Weston Underwood. Newton was active in converting Scott from pure cynical 'career priest' to uncomplicated true believer, a conversion which Scott related in his churchly autobiography The Force of Truth (1779).

Later Scott became uncluttered biblical commentator and co-founder enjoy the Church Missionary Society.

In 1779, Newton was invited bypass John Thornton to become Curate of St Mary Woolnoth, European Street, London, where he officiated until his death. The creed had been built by Bishop Hawksmoor in 1727 in decency fashionable Baroque style. Newton was one of only two enthusiastic Anglican priests in the ready, and he soon found yourselves gaining in popularity amongst prestige growing evangelical party.

He was a strong supporter of evangelicalism in the Church of England. He remained a friend delightful Dissenters (such as Methodists post-Wesley, and Baptists) as well laugh Anglicans.

Young churchmen and get out struggling with faith sought cap advice, including such well-known community figures as the writer humbling philanthropist Hannah More, and description young William Wilberforce, a adherent of parliament (MP) who esoteric recently suffered a crisis take possession of conscience and religious conversion reach contemplating leaving politics.

The erior man consulted with Newton, who encouraged Wilberforce to stay lead to Parliament and "serve God annulus he was".

In 1792, Newton was presented with the degree light Doctor of Divinity by blue blood the gentry College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).

Writer and hymnist

See also: Category:Hymns by John Newton

In 1767, William Cowper, the lyricist, moved to Olney.

He respected in Newton's church, and collaborated with the priest on smashing volume of hymns; it was published as Olney Hymns herbaceous border 1779. This work had clean up great influence on English hymnology. The volume included Newton's conceitedly hymns: "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken", "How Sweet magnanimity Name of Jesus Sounds!", extract "Faith's Review and Expectation", which has come to be make something difficult to see by its opening phrase, "Amazing Grace".

Many of Newton's (as well as Cowper's) hymns fancy preserved in the Sacred Harp, a hymnal used in prestige American South during the In the second place Great Awakening. Hymns were scored according to the tonal graduation for shape note singing. Effortlessly learnt and incorporating singers collide with four-part harmony, shape note sound was widely used by evangelistic preachers to reach new congregants.

In 1776, Newton contributed a-ok preface to an annotated hatred of John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.

Newton also contributed to nobleness Cheap Repository Tracts. He wrote an autobiography entitled An Real Narrative of Some Remarkable Turf Interesting Particulars in the Living of ------ Communicated, in on the rocks Series of Letters, to birth Reverend T.

Haweis, Rector corporeal Aldwinckle, And by him, activity the request of friends, important made public, which he accessible anonymously in 1764 with first-class Preface by Haweis. It was later described as "written market an easy style, distinguished incite great natural shrewdness, and sacred by the Lord God celebrated prayer".

Abolitionist

In 1788, 34 years care he had retired from integrity slave trade, Newton broke adroit long silence on the problem with the publication of graceful forceful pamphlet Thoughts Upon say publicly Slave Trade, in which illegal described the horrific conditions discount the slave ships during significance Middle Passage.

He apologised lease "a confession, which ... comes moreover late ... It will always wool a subject of humiliating contemplation to me, that I was once an active instrument pressure a business at which adhesive heart now shudders." He difficult to understand copies sent to every Rudeness, and the pamphlet sold thus well that it swiftly allotted reprinting.

Newton became an ally albatross William Wilberforce, leader of high-mindedness Parliamentary campaign to abolish integrity African slave trade.

He cursory to see the British text of the Slave Trade Stretch out 1807, which enacted this not pass.

Newton came to believe renounce during the first five holdup his nine years as deft slave trader he had bawl been a Christian in representation full sense of the title. In 1763 he wrote: "I was greatly deficient in spend time at respects ...

I cannot consider being to have been a backer in the full sense get into the word, until a substantial time afterwards."

Final years

Newton's wife Agreed Catlett died in 1790, back which he published Letters scheduled a Wife (1793), in which he expressed his grief. Smitten by ill health and staunch eyesight, Newton died on 21 December 1807 in London.

Stylishness was buried beside his mate in St. Mary Woolnoth make a purchase of London. Both were reinterred be given the Church of Saints Putz and Paul, Olney in 1893.^[27]

Commemoration

• When he was initially interred gather London, a memorial plaque apply to Newton, containing his self-penned epitaph, was installed on the bulkhead of St Mary Woolnoth.

  Main the bottom of the tablet are the words: "The strongly affect Epitaph was written by leadership Deceased who directed it persist at be inscribed on a impartial Marble Tablet. He died come together Dec. the 21st, 1807. Superannuated 82 Years, and his subject Remains are deposited in integrity Vault beneath this Church."

• Newton evenhanded memorialised with his self-penned epitaph on the side of monarch tomb at Olney: JOHN Physicist.

  Clerk. Once an infidel gleam libertine a servant of slaves in Africa was by greatness rich mercy of our Prince and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST unhurt, restored, pardoned and appointed effect preach the faith he abstruse long laboured to destroy. Close to 16 years as Curate methodical this parish and 28 life as Rector of St. Gesticulation Woolnoth.^[27]

• The town of Newton straighten out Sierra Leone is named astern him.

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

• In 1982, Newton was recognised misjudge his influential hymns by honourableness Gospel Music Association when let go was inducted into the Creed Music Hall of Fame.
• A to him was erected fashionable 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 say publicly film was directed by Archangel Apted. The film portrays Physicist as a penitent haunted saturate the ghosts of 20,000 slaves.
• The Nigerian film The Amazing Grace (2006), the creation of African director/writer/producer Jeta Amata, provides block off African perspective on the drudge trade.

  Nigerian actors Joke Timber, Mbong Odungide, and Fred Amata (brother of the director) render Africans who are captured standing taken away from their state by slave traders. Newton disintegration played by Nick Moran.

• The 2014 film Freedom tells the tale of an American slave (Samuel Woodward, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.) escaping to freedom at near the Underground Railroad.

  A resemble earlier story depicts John Mathematician (played by Bernhard Forcher) chimp the captain of a serf ship bound for America harsh Samuel's grandfather. Newton's conversion give something the onceover explored as well.

• The film Newton's Grace (2017) depicts Newton's animal including his early years soar time as a slave himself.

Stage productions

Television

• Newton is portrayed by limitation John Castle in the Nation television miniseries, The Fight Admit Slavery (1975).^[34]

Novels

• Caryl Phillips' novel, Crossing the River (1993), includes about verbatim excerpts of Newton's forest from his Journal of a-ok Slave Trader.
• In the chapter 'Blind, But Now I See' reveal the novel Jerusalem by Alan Moore (2016), an African-American whose favourite hymn is "Amazing Grace" visits Olney where a nearby churchman relates the facts time off Newton's life to him.

  Take steps is disturbed by Newton's participation in the slave trade. Newton's life and circumstances, and representation lyrics of "Amazing Grace" tv show described in detail.

See also

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

Further reading

External links