Harold Pearson, 2nd Viscount Cowdray

Weetman Harold Miller Pearson, 2nd Viscount Cowdray, DL (18 April 1882 – 5 October 1933[1]), styled The Honourable Harold Pearson between 1910 and 1927, was a British peer and Liberal Party politician.

The Right Honourable
The Viscount Cowdray
DL
Member of Parliament
for Eye
In office
6 April 1906 – 25 November 1918
Preceded byFrancis Seymour Stevenson
Succeeded byAlexander Lyle-Samuel
Personal details
Born(1882-04-18)18 April 1882
Died5 October 1933(1933-10-05) (aged 51)
Political partyLiberal Party
Spouse
Agnes Beryl Spencer-Churchill
​
​
(m. 1905)​
Children6
Parent(s)Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray
Annie Cass

Background

Cowdray was the son of Weetman Dickinson Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, and his wife Annie, daughter of Sir John Cass.[2]

Political career

Cowdray was elected as Member of Parliament for Eye at a by-election April 1906,[3] and held the seat until the 1918 general election, which he did not contest.[4] In 1927 he succeeded his father in the viscountcy and entered the House of Lords. He was also a major in the Sussex Yeomanry and a Deputy Lieutenant of Sussex.[2] He was the Chairman of the Hurlingham Club Polo Committee until his death.[5]

Polo

He learnt to play polo at Oxford University and his love of the sport resulted in the grounds being laid out at Cowdray House in 1910.[6] Chukkas started in April, although most competitions coincided with the festival of racing at nearby Goodwood in late July - the principal cup being the Cowdray Park Challenge Cup, still played for today. When Harold acquired the estate in 1919, he renamed his 'Capron House' team (named after his former residence) to 'Cowdray Park' accordingly. The yellow of their team shirts was their signature colour to match the Liberal Party, which he and his father supported.[6]

Family
Harold Pearson's grave at St. Mary's parish church, Easebourne, West Sussex

Lord Cowdray married Agnes Beryl, daughter of Lord Edward Spencer-Churchill, in 1905. They had one son and five daughters. He died in October 1933, aged 51, and was succeeded by his only son, Weetman. Lady Cowdray died in February 1948, aged 66.[2]

References
  1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 2)
  2. Lundy, Darryl. "Person page - 10169". thePeerage.com.
  3. Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 391. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
  4. Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  5. "Polo Monthly 1932" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  6. "Legends of the ball". Hurlingham Polo: 66. June 2010.
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