John Newton Grave

Sutcliff’s neighbors in Olney included the local minister of the Church of England, John Newton (1725-1807), author of “Amazing Grace.” Hymn writer and poet, William Cowper (1731-1800), was a member of Newton’s parish, and, at the time of Sutcliff’s arrival, Newton and Cowper were composing their popular “Olney Hymns.” Visit John Newton’s church and tombstone, and the Cowper and Newton Museum and Gardens.

copyrighted and used by permission from David Beale, Baptist History in England and America: Personalities, Positions, and Practices

Learn more at 5 Minutes in Church History

OCH Notes:

St. Peter and Paul Church in Olney is the site of the reinterred remains of John Newton, and of a commemorative stained glass window.

Daily Mail:

A centuries old church has been given the green light to celebrate the life of a former slave ship captain who became an abolitionist and wrote the hymn Amazing Grace.

The mediaeval Grade I listed church of St Peter and St Paul’s in Olney, Buckinghamshire, has had plans approved to set aside a memorial space in honour of John Newton.

Newton – who lived from 1725 to 1807 – was a slave trader who earned his living from the profits of slavery before becoming an abolitionist and turning to the church as a ‘reformed sinner’.

He is said to have fought for abolition with politician William Wilberforce, as an opponent of the slave trade – and was at one point a minister at the Olney church, which dates back to the 14th century.

Featured Image Credit: Contemporary portrait, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Alternate photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada – Stained-Glass Image of John Newton – Amazing Grace Writer – St. Peter and Paul Church – Olney – Buckinghamshire – England – 02  – CC2.0