The Forgotten Hamilton Inventor

Pearson & Co. Sand Soap Factory now 'The Cook' a bar and restaurant Reference: HCL_02768

Hamilton City Libraries is thrilled to share one of our most fascinating recent additions: the Pearson Family Collection, a treasure trove of Hamilton’s early stories and everyday moments brought to life through newly digitised glass plate negatives, photographic prints, and remarkable 8mm home films.

Donated by a descendant of Edward John Pearson, an early Kirikiriroa settler, inventive builder, and maverick soap maker, this collection opens a window into the heartbeat of Hamilton across multiple generations. From playful family scenes to significant community moments, the 8mm footage includes rare glimpses of Hamilton’s past, such as the Queen’s 1956 visit.

Edward John Pearson’s own story reads like a piece of Hamilton folklore. Born in England in 1825, he arrived in Aotearoa with the 4th Regiment of the Hamilton Militia and soon began shaping the growing township. He built the first wooden home in Hamilton East on Nixon Street and crafted the Loyal Hamilton Lodge for the Manchester United Oddfellows on Cook Street in 1875.

After moving to Thames during the depression of the 1870s and later declaring bankruptcy due to ill health, Pearson reinvented himself as an inventor. In 1883 he began experimenting with carbolic soap and eventually patented a new pumice-based formula using sand gathered from near the No. 1 Bridge on the Waikato River. He bought the old Oddfellows Hall on Cook Street and transformed it into the Pearson Carbolic Sandsoap Factory, a business that expanded to Sydney and exported to Europe.

The Hamilton East factory later passed to his son, George Samuel Pearson, before closing as production shifted overseas. Today the original hall still stands on Cook Street, now home to “The Cook” bar, carrying the legacy of a family whose creativity and innovation helped shape early Hamilton.