James Jackson (14 March 1771–27 April 1829) was an English manufacturer who established the first steel mill in France, near Saint-Étienne, Loire.

According to a report by Louis de Gallois in 1815, he considered that while steel mills were already numerous in England, he would find little competition in France and could also benefit from low wages.

James Jackson chose Saint-Étienne, in the heart of the Loire coal basin, as the location for his forges.

In August 1818, James Jackson left Trablaine, following a dispute with his partner, which he continued until he filed for bankruptcy in 1821.

He moved to Monthieux in 1819 with his sons William, John, James, and Charles, and then in 1820 to Rochetaillée and to Soleil, now Saint-Étienne.

Jackson's sons, naturalized Frenchmen, established an important steelworks at Assailly in 1830, now in the municipality of Lorette, Loire, on the Gier River.

Associated with Pierre-Frédéric Dorian and his stepfather Jacob Holtzer, the Jackson brothers also produced scythes and sickles at Pont-Salomon.

In 1859 the company took the name "Dorian, Holtzer, Jackson et Cie." On 14 November 1854, Jackson Frères and three other companies merged and combined to form the Compagnie des Hauts-fourneaux, forges et aciéries de la Marine et des chemins de fer.

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