Sam Pearson


Samuel Kitchener "Sam" Pearson is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, Emmerdale played by Toke Townley, for 12 years from the serial's first ever episode in 1972 until Townley's death in September 1984, almost two months prior to Sam's death. Sam was the father of Annie Sugden and grandfather to Peggy Skilbeck, Joe Sugden and Jack Sugden. Sam was one of the original nine characters of the series.
Sam was a god fearing and loveable man who could be a grouch to people. He died on 27 November 1984 in his sleep peacefully after winning a pumpkin in a village show the night before. In a 1974 episode, his middle name of Kitchener was revealed.

Storylines

Backstory

Samuel Kitchener Pearson was born on 5 December 1896 in Beckindale. His grandfather on his mother's side, Samuel Woodley was a village parson. Sam had a sister, Rosemary Pearson, who married an Albert Kendall. Sam served at Flanders during World War One. Upon his return, he met and married Grace Armitage in 1919 and they had a daughter, Annie Pearson, in 1920. Sam worked as a farm labourer. He became farm manager before he retired about 1961.

1972–1984

Sam attended his son-in-law's funeral with the rest of the family on 16 October 1972. In 1973, he asked to be confirmed by the church after suffering a bout of ill health, thinking he was going to die soon. However, this was just a scare and he soon got better and was involved in a fracas with old wartime friend, Charlie Nelson, in late 1973.
In 1975, he was annoyed to find that Annie had been in contact with his niece, Jean Kendall, in Middlesbrough. Sam had disowned the family after his sister Rosemary was ill-treated by her husband Arthur Kendall. In March, Jean's 16-year-old daughter, Rosemary Kendall, turned up and Sam agreed to let her stay. The same year, he was disappointed to find he would not become the new churchwarden after Wally Lumm died.
In 1983, Sam Pearson was grumbling because grandson Joe was seeing a married woman, Barbara Peters.
In November 1984, Sam won first prize at the Village Annual Pumpkin Show. He died peacefully in his sleep that night and daughter Annie found him dead in his bed when she took him his morning cup of tea. His funeral took place a few days later. Annie found that Sam had told Reverend Donald Hinton that he had not much time left and not to tell Annie until after he had died.