Ambrose Goddard

Ambrose Goddard, Esq., the Lord of the Manor of Swindon, was a central figure in the leadership, land management, and financing of the Wilts & Berks Canal Company for several decades.

Leadership Roles

Goddard held high-ranking administrative positions from the company’s inception:

• Chairman of the Committee of Management: He was elected to this post on June 4, 1796, shortly after the original Act of Incorporation was passed. In this capacity, he oversaw the early progress of construction and received detailed inspection reports.
• Chairman of the Company: In 1835, he was elected to succeed the company’s first Chairman, William Hallett.
• Committee Attendance: Journal records from 1814 to 1816 show him regularly attending "Sundry Committees" and meetings in Swindon and Oxford, for which he received attendance payments (e.g., £9 9s in December 1815 and December 1816).

Land Transactions and Water Rights

As a major landowner, Goddard’s property was essential to the canal’s route and water supply:

• Wanborough Feeder: In February 1812, the company paid him £134 7s 6d for 1 acre, 1 rood, and 15 perches of land at Walcot taken to construct the feeder, which conducted water from the "Wanbro' & Coat Waters" to the canal.
• Swindon Quarry: He received a balance payment of £15 15s for land destroyed at the Swindon Quarry while getting stone for the canal.
• Oakhouse Farm: In February 1812, Goddard paid the company £100 to repurchase "severances" (parcels of land cut off by the canal) that had formerly been part of his estate at Oakhouse Farm in Swindon.
• Dray Mill Compensation: In 1838, the company agreed to pay him £8 per year as compensation for diverting water into the canal that would have otherwise irrigated his mill.

Financial Interests and Subscriptions Goddard was a significant financial supporter of both the main canal and its expansions:

• Annual Rents: The company paid him an annual rent for a Water Mill and Wharf (often cited as "Mill & Wharf Lands") near Swindon. Records show payments such as £10 16s (after Property Duty) for a year's rent due at Lady Day 1810.
• Subscriptions: He personally subscribed £500 to the Wilts & Berks Canal and £225 to the North Wilts Canal project, which connected the Wilts & Berks to the Thames and Severn Canal.
• New Subscription of 1815: Ledger entries show Goddard making regular payments toward new shares, including £20 in January 1817.

Legacy

The relationship between the Goddard family and the canal persisted long after Ambrose's death. Following 1845, annual payments to his estate for the mill and wharf were allowed to lapse; by the time of the 1914 Act to wind up the canal syndicate, his descendant, F.P. Goddard, was owed £225 in back payments.