Ancestors of John Newton (1725-1807), the author of Amazing Grace

[pdickinson2014]

I'm trying to find the ancestors of John Newton (1725-1807), the famous anglican minister and author of Amazing Grace.  His father was Capt John Newton (1701-1750) and his mother Elizabeth Seatcliff/Scatcliff (d. 1732).  I'm attaching a chart of what I have.  Any help or guidance would be appreciated.  I'm especially looking to see if there are any Griffins or Graisons in his background.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Newton

[dawnsh]

Have you tried the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich for more information on his father?

http://www.rmg.co.uk/

I'm sure you have this from the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/20062?docPos=3
(may not load, used my library subscription)

There are sources at the bottom of the page

[pdickinson2014]

Thank you for that.  The National Maritime Museum hasn't been too useful.  I'll need to get to a public library to access The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  Were you able to get the page to load?  Was there something promising in there?  The world tree states that John Newton's father was Simon Newton born in 1670, but I've found no other sources to support this.

[dawnsh]

If you have a library card, you should be able to load the page at home as long as your library subscribes to the OND, I've yet to find one that doesn't.

The page doesn't have too much about his father though, just lots of other information.

[Shereejones]

I may be a few years too late. I know I am related to John Newton. My grandmother did a family tree where we found ourselves related to him aswell as the actor Jack buchanan. The only surnames I know from my family line is my grandmother's maiden name was pocock and Jones from my grandad. My grandmother came from Bristol and my grandfather as far as I'm aware had lived in Fishguard all his life until he passed.

[Catherine Flowers]

  I am also a decent of John Newton my family's names are bebout and flowers

[Viktoria]

I remember reading his biography years ago and was amazed that a slave owner could write such a hymn.
He married one of his slaves and she more or less ran his plantations in The West Indies whilst he was in England.
He was converted yes but did not immediately free his slaves,where could they have gone etc?
I actually don’t much like the hymn ,given its and his history .
However he was a man of his time ,when slave owning,trading and shipping were seen as perfectly normal.
He did convert but not able to remember what actions he took ,however he did influence William Wilberforce not sure about Clark ,a much overlooked anti slavist.
I seem to remember Newton continued trading for some time at least.
Viktoria.

Viktoria.

[Darnity]

Have you looked to see if there is any useful info about Newton's ancestry at the Cowper and Newton Museum:

https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/

https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/john-newton-1725-1807/

The museum tweeted yesterday: Research News: John Newton's autobiographical account 'The Authentic Narrative' began as 8 letters to a friend. The original letters disappeared but copy letters have now surfaced

which may be worth following up to see if there's anything useful in the copy letters.