James Dawkins (MP, died 1843)

James Dawkins (1757 – 18 January 1843) was a British politician and slave owner.

Dawkins was the son of Henry Dawkins II, a prominent Jamaican planter and slave owner, and Lady Juliana Colyear, daughter of Charles Colyear, 2nd Earl of Portmore. He inherited considerable wealth and estates in Jamaica.

He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Chippenham from 1784 to 1786 and for Hastings from 1796 to 1806. He was a consistent supporter of the continuation of the slave trade, drawing heavily on his personal experience as a plantation owner to argue against abolition. His arguments often centered on the supposed benefits of slavery for enslaved people, their purported contentment, and the economic importance of the trade to Britain.

Dawkins was a Fellow of the Royal Society, elected in 1778. He resided at Over Norton, Oxfordshire. He married Hannah Phipps and had several children, including Henry Dawkins. He died in 1843.