William Chapman

William Chapman (1749–1832) was an English consulting civil and mining engineer who, with John Buddle, was responsible for the Steam Elephant locomotive of about 1815, one of the first twin-cylinder locomotives, built at Wallsend for the colliery's waggonway. Chapman patented the use of a chain drive between locomotive and following wagon, an early attempt to solve the problem of insufficient adhesion on smooth rails.

Born at Whitby, Yorkshire on 23 October 1749, Chapman trained as a civil engineer and worked on the Kildare Canal, the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal and various Tyneside dock and waggonway schemes. He was the elder brother of the engineer Edward Walton Chapman. He died at Newcastle on 19 May 1832.