James Hargreaves
![Model of the spinning jenny in a museum in Wuppertal, Germany](/Images/godic/202501/17/Spinning_jenny0608.jpg")
![The improved spinning jenny that was used in textile mills](/Images/godic/202501/17/Spinning_Jenny_improved_203_Marsden0609.png")
James Hargreaves (c. 1720 – 22 April 1778) was a weaver, carpenter and inventor in Lancashire, England. He was one of three inventors responsible for mechanising spinning. Hargreaves is credited with inventing the spinning jenny in 1764, Richard Arkwright patented the water frame in 1769, and Samuel Crompton combined the two creating the spinning mule a little later.