John Sheepshanks
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John Sheepshanks (1787 - 1863), British manufacturer and art collector, was born in Leeds, and became a partner in his father's business as a cloth manufacturer.
His brother Richard (1794-1855) was a distinguished astronomer and man of science, whose collection of instruments eventually passed to the Royal Astronomical Society.
John Sheepshanks collected pictures, mainly by British artists, and in 1857 presented his magnificent collection to the nation. These are at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, which no longer observes all the conditions which he attached to the gift. He retired from business in 1833 and died a bachelor in 1863.
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
