James Whatman (1813 – 12 March 1887)was an English Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1852 and 1874. Whatman was the son of James Whatman of Vinter's, near Maidstone and his wife Eliza Susanna Gaussen, daughter of Samuel Richard Gaussen of Brookman's Park, Hertfordshire. He was educated at Eton College and at Christ Church, Oxford graduating with BA 4th class in classics in 1834 and MA in 1838. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society on 9 January 1840 and was also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. Whatman was a director of the South Eastern Railway. He was a captain in the West Kent Militia and was a Deputy Lieutenant of London and a Deputy Lieutenant and J.P. for Kent.