CED Stone Support Local Community with John Newton Plaque in Purfleet

Post date: 23 Jul, 2024

Saturday saw the 'eventual' unveiling of a plaque celebrating John Newton, best known for being the author of the hymn Amazing Grace, and his connection to the Purfleet-on-Thames area. Over a decade ago, the Thurrock Council supported and paid for several green plaques around the borough to commemorate historical figures with a local connection. The John Newton plaque was one of them, unfortunately, the plaque was never installed.

Trevor Batchelor, vice chair of the Purfleet on Thames Community Forum explains,

The John Newton plaque was originally unveiled in 2012. The plaque was to be fixed to the children's centre building at Purfleet on Thames, but as it is a conservation area, conservation consent was required to affix it. There was an objection, and unfortunately, the plaque was never installed. Many years later, I found the plaque hidden on a shelf in Thurrock Museum and arranged with CED Stone's help to get the plaque permanently displayed.

Being local to our West Thurrock Depot, Manager, David Smith was happy to help Trevor out, donating a rock for the plaque to be fixed to.

Trevor tells us of the unveiling,

It was a great day, and there were many favourable comments. I gave CED Stone a big thank you in my speech and meant it. Now the plaque is attached, it will be a feature on the riverfront for many years to come.

Thanks to Trevor Batchelor, vice chair of the Purfleet on Thames Community Forum for providing this timeline of

The varied life of John Newton from bad to good

1725 - Born in Wapping.

1732 - John's mother died when he was 7 years old.

1733 - John was sent to a boarding school in Stratford &and his father re-married.

1734 - The family moved to Marshfoot House, in Purfleet.

1736 - John started his life at sea here at Long Reach, Purfleet, by joining his father, when he was 11 years old.

1743 - John was press-ganged into the Navy and given the rank of midshipman. He hated it and tried to desert. He was caught, received 96 lashes and demoted to common seaman. He did not get on with the crew and it was rumoured that he planned to murder the captain. Later he was transferred to a slave ship bound for West Africa.

1745 - John arrived in Sierra Leone and was kept captive by his slave trading master, who gave him to his wife by whom John was badly treated and abused. He described this period of his life in words that he wrote “once and infidel and a libertine now a servant of slaves in West Africa.” These words are on his grave.

1747 - John was found by a sea faring friend of his father and returned to England. On the way back the ship was caught in a dreadful storm off Donegal, Ireland, the ship became damaged, holed. Newton prayed for the mercy from God. The load shifted and blocked the hole and the pumps kept the ship afloat. The storm subsided and the ship, the ‘Greyhound’ limped into port.

After this, his 3^rd near death experience, John started to experience a religious awakening.

His 1st was when as a youngster he was thrown from his horse landing very close to a large spike which would certainly have killed him if he were thrown just a little further.

His 2nd was here at Purfleet, as it was: he was due to meet his friends to visit a ship in the river. He arrived late and saw his friends rowing out to the ship. The boat struck an underwater obstruction and sank with the loss of life of all onboard.

1748 - John still needed an income and worked on a slaving ship. It was during that year his faith started to return.

1750 - John married Mary Catlett at Rochester and became master of a slaving ship until he suffered a stroke.

1755 - A friend of his father helped him gain employment as a tax collector or tide surveyor, depending who you believe, in the Port of Liverpool.

1757 - By now John had committed himself to entering the ministry and began studying for the priesthood.

1764 - He became ordained as a church minister, curate of Olney in Buckinghamshire.

John wrote many hymns, over 300 some with a poet he met William Cowper.

1772 - John wrote the words for ‘Amazing Grace’ which has become the World’s most recognised hymn.

John had turned his life around from a slaver to slave abolitionist. He met William Wilberforce MP and persuaded him to remain in parliament to campaign against slavery.

1787 - He helped Wilberforce found the Society for effecting the abolition of the slave trade and campaigned for this for the rest of his life

1807 - He finally saw the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade come into force in February 1807. He died in December that year.