Michael Orlando Weetman Pearson, 4th Viscount CowdrayDL (born 17 June 1944)[citation needed] of Cowdray Park in West Sussex, is a landowner in West Sussex with 16,500 acres (6,700 ha) and is a major shareholder of the FTSE 100 company Pearson plc, the construction, now publishing, company founded by his ancestor in the 19th century.
He attended Gordonstoun, a boarding school in Elgin, Moray, Scotland, after which he served the British Army for two years, worked as a financier in the City of London and briefly as a farmer.[citation needed] In the late 1960s he became a film producer, running Cupid Productions, a film production company.[2][5] He produced Sympathy for the Devil, a film starring The Rolling Stones and directed by Jean-Luc Godard, and Vanishing Point in 1971. In 1985, he was listed in Debrett's Peerage as a resident of Le Schuylkill, a high-rise building in Monaco.[6] Later in the 1980s he returned to England. He was a director of the jewellers Theo Fennell Plc. He has served on the board of trustees of the Tibet House Trust for 20 years.[1][7] and donates to the school project The Drukpa Kargyu Trust. He is a patron of his local primary school, church, young farmers club, and sports teams.
In 1995 he inherited his 16,500-acre (6,700 ha) paternal estate at Cowdray Park, in West Sussex, purchased by his great-grandfather in 1909, now containing the very large mansion house known as Cowdray Park, a well-known polo club (which hosts the Cowdray Park Gold Cup, one of Britain's most prestigious polo events), a golf club, organic dairy herd, forestry, 330 houses, several farms and much of the town of Midhurst. In September 2010 he moved out of the house to his previous and smaller residence at nearby Fernhurst,[4] and in 2011, he put the 16 bedroom mansion house up for sale via agents Knight Frank, at an asking price of £25 million, including two lakes, two swimming pools, six cottages, 12 flats, a bowling alley, cricket pitch, polo field,[8] but with only 110 acres (45 ha) of the estate. The property failed to find a buyer.[citation needed]
In 2017 having failed to find a buyer for the house, he took it off the market and drew up plans to convert the two wings into 7 short-leasehold luxury apartments with the reception areas to be hired out for conferences, corporate events and weddings.[4] He retains the surrounding 16,500-acre (6,700 ha) estate, which has much commercial potential and employs 150 people, comprising a farm shop, cafe, golf, shooting grounds, fishing and therapy rooms for hire.
Marriages and progeny
In 1970 by his girlfriend Barbara Ray, he had a son out of wedlock:
michael, pearson, viscount, cowdray, michael, orlando, weetman, pearson, viscount, cowdray, born, june, 1944, citation, needed, cowdray, park, west, sussex, landowner, west, sussex, with, acres, major, shareholder, ftse, company, pearson, construction, publish. Michael Orlando Weetman Pearson 4th Viscount Cowdray DL born 17 June 1944 citation needed of Cowdray Park in West Sussex is a landowner in West Sussex with 16 500 acres 6 700 ha and is a major shareholder of the FTSE 100 company Pearson plc the construction now publishing company founded by his ancestor in the 19th century The Viscount CowdrayBorn 1944 06 17 17 June 1944 age 78 Spouse s Ellen ErhardtMarina Rose CordleParentsWeetman Pearson 3rd Viscount CowdrayLady Anne Pamela Bridgeman Contents 1 Origins 2 Career 2 1 Cowdray Park estate 3 Marriages and progeny 4 Filmography 4 1 As a producer 4 2 As an executive producer 5 ReferencesOrigins EditHe is the eldest son and heir of Weetman Pearson 3rd Viscount Cowdray 1910 1995 1 2 of Cowdray Park Sussex and of Dunecht House Aberdeenshire by his first wife Lady Anne Pamela Bridgeman 1914 2009 a daughter of Orlando Bridgeman 5th Earl of Bradford 1873 1957 and a first cousin of Princess Alice Duchess of Gloucester 3 His parents separated when he was two years old 4 His great grandfather who founded the family s fortune was the prominent businessman Weetman Dickinson Pearson 1st Viscount Cowdray 1856 1927 created Viscount Cowdray in 1917 The 53 000 acres 21 000 ha paternal estate of Dunecht in Scotland was inherited by his half brother Charles Anthony Pearson born 1956 citation needed Career EditHe attended Gordonstoun a boarding school in Elgin Moray Scotland after which he served the British Army for two years worked as a financier in the City of London and briefly as a farmer citation needed In the late 1960s he became a film producer running Cupid Productions a film production company 2 5 He produced Sympathy for the Devil a film starring The Rolling Stones and directed by Jean Luc Godard and Vanishing Point in 1971 In 1985 he was listed in Debrett s Peerage as a resident of Le Schuylkill a high rise building in Monaco 6 Later in the 1980s he returned to England He was a director of the jewellers Theo Fennell Plc He has served on the board of trustees of the Tibet House Trust for 20 years 1 7 and donates to the school project The Drukpa Kargyu Trust He is a patron of his local primary school church young farmers club and sports teams Cowdray Park estate Edit Main article Cowdray Park West Sussex In 1995 he inherited his 16 500 acre 6 700 ha paternal estate at Cowdray Park in West Sussex purchased by his great grandfather in 1909 now containing the very large mansion house known as Cowdray Park a well known polo club which hosts the Cowdray Park Gold Cup one of Britain s most prestigious polo events a golf club organic dairy herd forestry 330 houses several farms and much of the town of Midhurst In September 2010 he moved out of the house to his previous and smaller residence at nearby Fernhurst 4 and in 2011 he put the 16 bedroom mansion house up for sale via agents Knight Frank at an asking price of 25 million including two lakes two swimming pools six cottages 12 flats a bowling alley cricket pitch polo field 8 but with only 110 acres 45 ha of the estate The property failed to find a buyer citation needed In 2017 having failed to find a buyer for the house he took it off the market and drew up plans to convert the two wings into 7 short leasehold luxury apartments with the reception areas to be hired out for conferences corporate events and weddings 4 He retains the surrounding 16 500 acre 6 700 ha estate which has much commercial potential and employs 150 people comprising a farm shop cafe golf shooting grounds fishing and therapy rooms for hire Marriages and progeny EditIn 1970 by his girlfriend Barbara Ray he had a son out of wedlock Sebastian William Orlando Pearson born 1970 3 Firstly in 1977 he married Ellen Erhardt a daughter of Hermann Erhardt of Munich 3 Secondly in 1987 he married Marina Rose Cordle 2nd daughter of John Cordle a Conservative Member of Parliament 1 by whom he has five children Eliza Anne Venetia Pearson born 31 May 1988 Emily Jane Marina Pearson born 13 December 1989 9 Catrina Sophie Lavinia Pearson born 13 March 1991 Peregrine John Dickinson Pearson born 27 October 1994 eldest legitimate son and heir Montague Orlando William Pearson born 17 May 1997 Filmography EditAs a producer Edit Last of the Long haired Boys 1968 Sympathy for the Devil 1968 The Legend of Spider Forest AKA Venom 1971 As an executive producer Edit Vanishing Point 1971 References Edit a b c Karen Kranenburg Renaissance Man Archived 5 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine Polo amp More 2011 a b Edwin Shrake On A Dicey Cruise Sports Illustrated 16 September 1974 a b c Kidd Charles Debrett s Peerage amp Baronetage 2015 Edition London 2015 p P293 a b c Dennys Harriet 19 January 2014 Viscount Cowdray to convert ancestral home into luxury flats www telegraph co uk Retrieved 27 June 2022 Cupid Production Archived 26 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine Charles Kidd David Williamson Debrett s Peerage and Baronetage 1985 p 287 Meet the Cowdrays Tatler 28 January 2015 Meet the Cowdrays The family at the heart of British polo tatler com Retrieved 6 June 2019 Soames Matilda 10 PERFECT POTENTIAL BRIDES FOR PRINCE HARRY Tatler Peerage of the United KingdomPreceded byWeetman Pearson Viscount Cowdray1995 present Incumbent Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Michael Pearson 4th Viscount Cowdray amp oldid 1108929029, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
