The Cowper and Newton Museum in Olney, England

     As the bus wound its way through the fields, hedgerows and roundabouts, our first sight of Olney was the magnificent spire of the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. Five minutes later we stepped off into the village square and there, only 100 yards away was “Orchard Side”, the home of William Cowper from 1768-1786.

   We paid admission and passed through the house into the garden behind. As we sat quietly on a bench and admired the stonework of the garden walls and the tiled roofs in front of us, we could almost believe that it was 1780 and the gardener working nearby was Cowper himself.

     Later we passed through a door in the garden wall and found ourselves facing a little shed—Cowper’s summer house and “verse manufactory.” In his letters, he described it as being just big enough for a table and two chairs. It looks much the same now as it did 230 years ago— but the walls and ceiling are covered with the signatures of hundreds of visitors over the centuries.

     We then entered the house through a door (duck if you’re over 5’6”!) leading into the kitchen. Cooking seemed to be done over an open fire, using hooks and handles to get the cooking pots into place. Our next stops were the parlour and the hall, then up a tapering stair to Cowper’s bedroom. Not much of the original furniture remains— we did see an “architect’s desk” where he did some of his writing; his shoe buckles; his pocket watch and its stand; his washstand and shaving mirror; a stuffed hare (he had three as pets); his genealogy; and a replica of the strange hat he wore.

     We took lots of pictures, because there was too much to remember. As we left, one last view from the street looked through an arched, gated passageway to the garden and beyond, once again, to the church spire.

     Around the corner, through the car park, and down the pathway through the common brought us past the “Old Vicarage”, home of John Newton and, in about a quarter mile, to the church where he was curate. Built in the 14^th century, it is awe-inspiring. We have nothing in Canada to compare. We peeked into the church since it wasn’t locked, and walked around outside, past hundreds of gravestones.   A little printed sign on a stake directed us “to John Newton’s tomb” and we found the monument. His remains were moved here from London in 1893— one side reads, “JOHN NEWTON DIED 21^ST  DEC^R 1807…” and the opposite side reads, “JOHN NEWTON, CLERK, ONCE AN INFIDEL AND LIBERTINE, A SERVANT OF SLAVES IN AFRICA, WAS, BY THE RICH MERCY OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST PRESERVED, RESTORED, PARDONED AND APPOINTED TO PREACH THE FAITH HE HAD LONG LABOURED TO DESTROY. NEAR 16 YEARS AS CURATE OF THIS PARISH AND 28 YEARS AS RECTOR OF ST. MARY WOOLNOTH.” 

     We sat for a few minutes on the warm grass by the tomb, looked up at the marvellous spire and the blue sky, then moved on, as the bells in the tower chimed three.

     Tea, scones with jam and clotted cream, and delicious French-pressed coffee at a shop in the square rounded out our time in Olney, and we caught the 1608 bus back to our rooms.

     Looking back over two centuries, we have to say that God brought together two men with great spiritual and literary gift, but vastly different backgrounds, to bless many generations of believers. Scripture says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Prov.27:17.) Newton wrote “Amazing Grace” at Olney and Cowper, in one of his “Olney Hymns” says,

“Such Jesus is, and such His grace;

       Oh, may He shine on you!
And tell Him, when you see His face,
       I long to see Him too.”
 
XXXIV—Seeking the Beloved   Ì