A Furniture manufacturers was established by George Flashman in Dover in 1830 and is visible in the eastern side of Market Square on historic cartographic sources dating to the later 19th and early 20th centuries. As the business grew, George opened a furniture depot in Market Lane and a cabinet factory in Dieu Stone Lane. Later an annex was built next to the cabinet factory for the depository. The Business specialised in high class furniture and by the time of George’s death in 1885 the firm was well patronised by the elite of British Society. After George’s death his sons and son-in-law continued to run the business. On 1 November 1930, the firm held its centenary celebrations by which time their workshop on Dieu Stone Lane was extensive. The also had large retail outlets Folkestone and St Margaret’s Bay as well as Dover. The Second World War had a devastating impact on Flashman’s not only from the business perspective. On 31 March 1941, their furniture depository, in Dieu Stone Lane, was damaged by fire following a shell attack. Another shell totally wrecked the building on 4 October 1943 and in the same year their main premises in Market Square also suffered from shelling. The workshop and shop was eventually closed in 1964 and the building was demolished shortly after. (1-3)

<1> C. E. Goad, 1905, Kent Fire insurance plans sheets 1-7 (Map). SKE51666.

<2> Landmark, Ordnance Survey 1:2,500 map (OS 1st edition 1862-1875): Landmark Epoch 1 (Map). SKE30964.

<3> Lorraine Sencicle, 2013, The Dover Historian - Flashman's of Dover (Website). SKE51692.