(July 24, 1725–December 21, 1807), was the captain of a slave trading ship. He converted to Christianity and wrote the spiritual song, Amazing Grace, having realized the wretchedness of his former profession. So depraved was he, that even his crew became disgusted. Once in a drunken stupor he fell overboard, and his crew, in order to rescue him, threw a harpoon through his leg in order to reel him back aboard. His constant limp thereafter was a reminder of how God could save such a wretch. Throughout the remainder of his life, he kept the anniversary of his conversion, March 10, 1748 (21st N.S.) as a day of humiliation and thanksgiving for his “deliverance.” In 1788, he aided William Wilberforce’s efforts to rid England of slavery by publishing his ghastly experiences in the slave trade.
John Newton wrote:
Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.662