The last chairman of the New Swindon Urban Council, before the incorporation of Swindon Borough, was James Longland He was also the first magistrate of the borough and took an avid interest in the Swindon Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber was formed in 1894 by another member of the UDC, Mr JJ Brown.

The first president of the chamber was Mr HJ Deacon.They met together at the back of the JH Bradbury boot makers shop, in Bridge St, I believe it bordered the canal near the Golden Lion Bridge.

In those days the shops did not close until 11pm and, as gas was not connected to the shop it was lit by candles, The chamber promoted shopping weeks that were held regularly. The weeks aimed to promote trade and usually coincided with Civic Week, which I believe to have been a promotions week encouraging pride in the town and promoting shops, businesses and the town in general.

The chamber was well respected, although it did complain about vandalism, traders it is said had been complaining at meetings that their plate glass windows were being scratched.

The chamber also had annual outings that were well supported but these were suspended during the First World War.

The war also made it difficult for traders to find delivery boys as they were attracted to jobs in the the GWR which offered higher wages.

Chamber members the took an active part in civic matters and in the first 25 years of the borough 12 of its members had been mayors.

Levi Lapper Morse was the second Mayor of Swindon and his grave is in Radnor Street Cemetery.

He also presided over the first annual dinner in 1903, which later became the mayoral banquet.

The dinners, for which tickets cost four shillings (20p). would take place in the Queens Royal Refreshment Rooms at Swindon Railway Station and by all accounts were sumptuous affairs.

They included a toast to “Our Railways.”

This toast at one dinner was proposed by Mr EC Skurry, JP and replied to by the “Old Man” George Jackson Churchward the chief Mechanical Engineer of the GWR.

In the Second World War the chamber carried on doing its bit and at meetings more complaints were made about windows – this time broken plate glass windows.

The damage was said to have been mostly caused by American soldiers, but one “Tommy” had put a mop through the windows of three stores Many more women were being employed in the shops and at Garrads and WD. and HO Wills cigarette producer as the men had gone off to war.

The chamber’s members did manage to cope with rationing and shortages, during wartime.

However, after the war a lot of goods that had previously been available were now very scarce, leading to complaints.

It was a period of austerity which was compounded by the bad winter of 1947.

In May 1975 the chamber became an incorporated body and at one point had offices at Commercial House, Commercial Road.

It had a full-time secretary and worked closely with the council during the 1970s and 1980s giving advice on exports and pushing Swindon to businesses looking to relocate.