John Heathcoat | |
|---|---|
 John Heathcoat | |
| Born | 7 August 1783 Duffield, Derbyshire |
| Died | 18 January 1861 (aged 77) Tiverton, Devon |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Engineering career | |
| Projects | warp-loom bobbinet |
John Heathcoat (7 August 1783 – 18 January 1861) was an English inventor from Duffield, Derbyshire. During his apprenticeship he made an improvement to the warp-loom, so as to produce mitts of a lace-like appearance. He set up his own business in Nottingham but was forced to move away to Hathern in Leicestershire, and after this new factory was attacked by former Luddites in 1816 he moved the business to Tiverton in Devon where it became most successful and established the Tiverton lace-making industry.
Later in life he served as Member of Parliament for Tiverton.