The business was established in 1884 as a general draper, expanding to become the largest department store in south-east London and operator of a network of branches stretching from Essex to the Isle of Wight.
[2] They bought Cross Brothers drapery business at 59 High Street, Lewisham, which was known as Paris House, and specialised in the sales of remnants and job lots.
The furniture department was a particularly successful part of the business and Chiesmans purchased several properties to hold their stock.
After the First World War, the brothers' sons Stewart, Russell and Howard joined the firm and in 1921 a new store was constructed.
Over the next two years stores were purchased in Tunbridge Wells (Waymarks, 1958), the Isle of Wight (Edward Morris, 1959), Ilford (Burnes, 1959), Upton Park (John Lewis, 1959) and Rochester (Leonards, 1959).
[9] The stores were brought under the same management as Barkers and Army & Navy as part of the Southern Division trading group of House of Fraser.
Maintenance costs and changing retail patterns led firstly to the Lewisham store shrinking to half its size[citation needed] and later closing down entirely in 1994.