Question

Who was William Cockerill? Why might English capitalists have looked on him with some disgust?

Answer 1

William Cockerill was a British-born (later became Belgian) industrialist/manufacturer during the Napoleonic era.

Explanation:

As a result of the Napoleonic blockade English industrialists profited greatly from the closely guarded British manufacturing techniques.

William Cockerill moved to mainland Europe and provided them with the technology necessary to build industrial machinery (including a version of James Watt's steam engine). English capitalists considered him a traitor.