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.
and that the gentleman carried more guns with him than Robinson Crusoe, wore a shooting-coat, and had two great dogs on board."
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.
In his book The Improved American Rifle, Chapman documented the first telescopic sights he showed Morgan James how to make.