John Ratcliffe Chapman
John Ratcliffe Chapman (January 9,1815 – February 4, 1899) was a British born contractor and engineer. He was the son of John Chapman, a farmer and “contractor for roads and other public works” who built canals and sections of early British railways, notably the London & Birmingham line. When his father died in 1836 John Ratcliffe Chapman took over his father's contracts and went on to build the Aylesbury Railway and part of the North Midland Railway in Yorkshire where he met his wife Mary Pollitt.
John Ratcliffe Chapman
- Name
- John Ratcliffe Chapman
- Born
- January 9, 1815
- Birthplace
- Lincolnshire, England
- Died
- February 4, 1899
- Occupation
- railway contractor, gunsmith, author
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John Ratcliffe Chapman (January 9,1815 – February 4, 1899) was a British born contractor and engineer. He was the son of John Chapman, a farmer and “contractor for roads and other public works” who built canals and sections of early British railways, notably the London & Birmingham line. When his father died in 1836 John Ratcliffe Chapman took over his father's contracts and went on to build the Aylesbury Railway and part of the North Midland Railway in Yorkshire where he met his wife Mary Pollitt.
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The Wikipedia record describes John Ratcliffe Chapman as a designer. Born in 1815. Death followed in 1899.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 04 October 2026
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Biography
Biography
Dickens mentions Chapman briefly as follows in Chapter II of "American Notes, ".. And that the gentleman carried more guns with him than Robinson Crusoe, wore a shooting-coat, and had two great dogs on board." (Note: An earlier version of this entry named the engineer William Chapman as John Ratcliffe Chapman's father. Birth records from Lincolnshire have shown this to be incorrect.) Chapman, a man of considerable wealth for the time, purchased several hundred acres along the south shore of Oneida Lake, in Madison County, New York, where he, his wife and their nine sons established many local farms and businesses, including a cheese factory. Chapman invented, designed and manufactured the telescopic rifle sight. He also invented and patented a four-barrel revolving rifle. It is in the possession of a family member living near Rochester, NY. In his book The Improved American Rifle, Chapman documented the first telescopic sights he showed Morgan James how to make. Together they manufactured the Chapman-James sight. Chapman also showed James how to make the most accurate rifles of the day. Several of these rifles are currently on display at the Army Museum at West Point. Chapman's book was published in New York, NY by D. This work has been reprinted as recently as 1976.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — John Ratcliffe Chapman • Birth Name — John Ratcliffe Chapman • Born — January 9, 1815 • Birthplace — Lincolnshire, England • Died — February 4, 1899 • Occupation — railway contractor, gunsmith, author
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1815
John Ratcliffe Chapman was born on 1 January 1815.
1899
John Ratcliffe Chapman died on 4 February 1899.
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- “John Ratcliffe Chapman”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2659250: John Ratcliffe Chapman
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Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Benson, Howard. John Ratciffe Chapman. Woodlesford - The Story of a Station. March 2023.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 2
- John Ratcliffe Chapman, "Instructions to Young Marksmen in all that relates to the General Construction, Practical Manipulation, etc., etc., as exhibited in the Improved American Rifle," New York, D. Appleton &. Co. 1848.
- Out of Nowhere: A History of the Military Sniper (Pegler 2004)
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John Ratcliffe Chapman is recorded with the occupation designer.
Chapman, John, Benezit Dictionary of Artists, 2011
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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