Chiesmans

Chiesmans Ltd was a department store chain that started in 1884 as a drapery, but was acquired by House of Fraser in 1976.^[1]

Early history

Chiesman Brothers was started by the brothers Frank and Harry Chiesman in September 1884 in Lewisham.^[2] They bought Cross Brothers at 59 High Street, Lewisham which was known as Paris House, and specialised in the sales of remnants and job lots. The brothers changed the business and starting selling new lines taking the business away from a drapery to a department store.

The store expanded into neighbouring properties and in 1899, waiting rooms and a tea room were added to the store,^[3] By 1908 the store encompassed 41-59 High Street, which were divided by a road and had a subway connecting the two stores. The business furniture department grew and Chiesmans purchased several properties to hold their stock.

After the First World War, the brother's sons Stewart, Russell and Howard joined the firm and in 1921 a new store was constructed. Also in 1921, the company was incorporated into Chiesmans Ltd, a private liability company. During the 1930s the store was extended and other properties were purchased, including property on the opposite side of the High Street. By 1939, a new bridge was built across the High Street to link the two halves of the store.^[4]

Expansion

In 1930, Chiesmans started their first store expansion by buying a second store in Maidstone, which had been previously run as Denniss Paine & Co.^[5] The next store expansion was the purchase of a business in Canterbury in 1949, while a third store was added in 1957 at Gravesend (previously Bon Marche).

In 1957, the business also became a Public Limited Company, with most of the shares still owned by the Chiesman family. Over the next two years stores were purchased in Tunbridge Wells (Waymarks), the Isle of Wight (Morris - 1959), Ilford (Burnes - 1959), Upton Park (John Lewis - 1959) and Rochester (Leonards - 1959). Further branches were opened in Southend (J R Roberts) and Bexleyheath. In 1960, the Lewisham store was extended again, and new additions included a fabric hall and a self-service restaurant.

Closure

In 1976, the group was purchased by House of Fraser,^[6] and was transferred into the newly acquired Army & Navy group; all stores were renamed under this company's banner. In particular, the Lewisham store of Chiesmans houses the House of Fraser Southern Division Head Office and was operated by House of Fraser first under the Chiesmans brand and then as Army & Navy Lewisham. Maintenance costs and changing retail patterns led to the store shrinking to half its size in 1993 and later, closing down entirely in 1997.

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