Jonathan Scarth (18 February 1772 – 14 December 1850) was a partner in one of Manchester's early steam powered cotton mills in the late 18th century, and was an entrepreneur of the English Industrial Revolution.
With funds from his father Thomas and brother-in-law Robert Moorsom, Jonathan, Richard Percival Moulson and Robert Owen (later to become the "father of English socialism") formed the Chorlton Twist Company to set up a state of the art steam powered cotton mill at Chorlton near Manchester.
[4] Robert Owen's description of Jonathan and his partner Richard was less flattering: "two young men, inexperienced in the business, although they had capital".
In January 1798 Moulson left the company, and in August of the same year Jonathan Scarth and another partner Matthew Chitty Marshall followed suit.
[10] He and his wife Frances had a total of ten children, including a son Robert Moorsom Scarth, named after Jonathan's brother-in-law.