JOHN NEWTON (1725-1807) was born in London, England. His father was a sailor with whom he spent many years at sea. Early in his life he enjoyed sin which degraded him to be a slave of a slave-trader who was treated poorly. After a stormy night at sea he turned his heart toward God and started a new life of prayer and Bible reading. Mary Catlett became his wife in 1750. He worked as a commandeer of a slave ship and then he became a tide surveyor in 1755. He started studying Greek and Hebrew and was sworn in as a deacon in 1764. He became the curate at Olney, England and later moved to London. He was a swaying influence in the lives of many famous people. He wrote hymns together with William Cowper and penned his famous "Amazing Grace."