William Cowper (pronounced "Cooper") (1731-1800) was the leading poet of his day, and one of the greatest letter writers in English. Many of his poems and letters talk of the house, gardens and personal belongings you can see at the museum. Visiting it will give you a vivid sense of everyday life in a country town in the late 1700s.

Rev. John Newton (1725-1807) was the Parish priest of Olney and Cowper's friend and collaborator. But he began his career as a seafarer and slave trader, before becoming a famous London preacher and spiritual mentor to William Wilberforce, the abolitionist. See the display evoking the horrors of the slave trade and illustrating the campaign for its abolition.