John Newton’s memoirs, fervently annotated by an early reader with lines from Psalm 139, ‘Whereas I was blind now I see’, the inspiration for Newton’s great anthem, Amazing Grace. The hymn was written in 1772 and published in 1779 by Newton, a slave trader turned abolitionist which has become perhaps the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, especially popular in the United States.
Newton’s memoir which recounts his dramatic conversion story is bound here with three Edinburgh imprints, in very good condition throughout, half bound in black calf over marbled boards. Rubbing to corners and edges. Endpapers clean front and rear. Ownership inscription to front free endpaper reads ‘Edward J Hanbury Nov. 28th 1856’ - probably a generation later than the annotator. The 4 texts appear as follows:
1. Richard Cecil, Memoirs of the Rev. John Newton by the Rev. William Baynes and Son: London, 1825. Frontispiece depicts Rev John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace. Title page with vignette to centre. Contemporary annotation surrounds the illustrations on both these leaves quoting excerpts from Psalm 139: 3-2 and John 9: 25. Clean throughout; a few paragraphs lined in pen to the margin. Printed by Charles Wood, London. 132 pp. collated and complete.
2. Grace Kennedy, Anna Ross, A Story for Children by Grace Kennedy, William Oliphant, Edinburgh 1833. Title page loosened to top from binding followed by collated and complete text block numbered 9 - 175. ‘Read to Emily Sept 20th 1863’ written to top of p.9. Clean and unmarked. 175 pp.
3. [Margaret Grierson], The Catechist; A Fragment, Parts First and Second by the author of ‘Lily Douglas’, William Oliphant: Edinburgh, 1827. Fourth edition. Title page followed by pp 3 - 156 collated and complete. Clean and unmarked throughout. Printed by J & D Collie.
4. [Catherine Sinclair] The Nursery Plutarch by the authoress of Charlie Seymour, Waugh and Innes: Edinburgh, 1833. Title page followed by pp. 1 - 222 collated and complete. Vignettes to each new chapter. Tears to top corners of both pp. 149 and 151 resulting in loss to top 5 lines of text. Clean throughout.
