Chains of Office

Upstairs at the Town Hall, our Council Chamber is home to this piece of Witham Urban District Council history. Displayed in a glass-fronted wooden display box are the chains of office that were donated to WUDC by the directors of W. Pinkham and Son Limited in memory of their founder, William Pinkham.

William Pinkham was the founder of W. Pinkham & Son Ltd, the renowned glove makers which were established in Witham. Having previously made the gloves in their home, in 1905 William Pinkham and his wife Rebecca set up in a property in Albert Road bought for the purpose of manufacturing gloves, before later building a factory in Witham in 1912.

William Pinkham was a Witham Urban District Councillor from 1912-1932 and was chairman of the Council from 1930-1932. William passed away in 1938.

The links of the chain are engraved with the names and terms of chairmen of WUDC from 1955 until it's dissolution in 1974. One or two of these names may be familiar to Witham residents as they have roads or buildings names after them. Also included in the display box is a matching pin for the Vice-Chairman of the Council.