Samuel Pearson
English businessman, founder of Pearson plc
About Samuel Pearson
Lived 1814 – 1884 (aged 69–70).
Samuel Pearson (1814–1884) was an English entrepreneur and founder of Pearson plc, a leading education (originally construction) company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Career After working as a labourer, Pearson set up his own brickmaking and contracting business in Bradford in 1844. In 1856, he brought his son, George, into the business and in 1857 the business won an important contract for extension and refurbishment work on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. By 1861 it was employing 9 men and a farmer. He retired in 1879 and died in Scholes in 1884.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Samuel Pearson's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Samuel Pearson?
English businessman, founder of Pearson plc
When was Samuel Pearson born?
Samuel Pearson was born in 1814 in England.
When did Samuel Pearson die?
Samuel Pearson died in 1884.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Samuel Pearson. https://biography.guide/samuel-pearson/
MLA: "Samuel Pearson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/samuel-pearson/.
Chicago: "Samuel Pearson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/samuel-pearson/.
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