James Muspratt (1793-1886), English industrial chemist. Muspratt was born in Dublin to English parents and was apprentist to a druggist. In 1812 he left Dublin to take part in the Peninsular War and later joined the Royal Navy. In 1814 he deserted and returned to Dublin and in 1818 came into an inheritance. He established a chemical works making acids and turpentine. In 1822 he went to Liverpool to set up a plant for making sodium carbonate, an important chemical in glass making. This was the first commercial application of the Leblanc process in the UK and he started production in 1823. He went on to build works in St.Helens and Newton-le-Willows on Merseyside. On several occasions he had to defend litigation because of pollution. He applied some of his wealth to help found the Liverpool Institute for Boys and the Liverpool College of Practical Chemistry.