Sir James Timmins Chance, 1st Baronet (22 March 1814 – 6 January 1902[1][2]) was an English industrialist, philanthropist, director of the London and North Western Railway, and an expert in lighthouse optics.

[3] He gave West Smethwick Park to the public in 1895, and donated £50,000 to the endowment fund of Birmingham University in 1900.

The park includes a memorial to him, in brick and terracotta, with a bronze bust by Hamo Thornycroft.

[4] Beneath the bust is a plaque reading: He was awarded a Baronetcy in 1900,[5][6] to which he was succeeded by his son, Sir William Chance, 2nd Baronet (1853–1935).

It was presented to Smethwick Borough Council in December 1902, eleven months after the subject's death.