Jersey Chamber's History

The archive of the Jersey Chamber of Commerce is an invaluable source for local historians and a vital tool in understanding the business history of the Island.

Enriched in Chamber’s long and illustrious history are the values we still hold today; that is, to promote trade and build on the prosperity of the island.

These values have been part of the fabric of our history for centuries, much of what we celebrate today is a testament to the hard working merchants who founded Chamber back in 1768.

Chamber started with a group of public spirited ship merchants getting together to protect the interests of the Island’s maritime trade. They were dissatisfied with the representation by the ruling elite in the States who had little interest in assisting merchants, ship owners and traders.

There were many difficulties to overcome such as fishing trade, industrial, pirates, the French Revolution, the development of the Island’s harbours and the safety of their vessels during wartime.

They became a forward thinking and dynamic organisation interested in the pursuance of better trade conditions for the Island’s merchants.

Throughout the early years, the main work of the Chamber was promotion and protection of shipping as the community was mainly composed of ship-owners.

Chamber was active and forward looking. The ordinary 18th century Islander, whatever his class, had little contact with the outside world, whereas members of Chamber, in contrast, were citizens of the world.

As business and trade developed in the Island, so did the scope of Chamber’s activities.

Today Chamber represents a diverse community across a number of sectors including finance, building & development, digital, transport & tourism, hospitality and retail. It is dedicated to the promotion of trade, commerce and the general prosperity of Jersey and is the largest employer representative organisation in Jersey.