Duncan Henry Davidson (born 29 March 1941) is the founder of

Persimmon plc Persimmon plc is a British housebuilding company, headquartered in York, England. The company is named after a horse which won the 1896 Derby and St. Leger for the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII). It is listed on the London Stock Ex ...

, one of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

's largest housebuilding businesses. In 2018, it was reported that his wealth had risen by £32 million and he was worth £175 million.

Career

Davidson is the grandson of the 15th Duke of Norfolk and educated at

Ampleforth College Ampleforth College is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in the English public school tradition located in the village of Ampleforth, North Yorkshire, England. It opened in 1802 as a boys' school, it is situated in the groun ...

. He was a pageboy at the

Coronation of Elizabeth II The coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive ...

and nine years later worked as a labourer on London's

Blackwall Tunnel The Blackwall Tunnel is a pair of road tunnels underneath the River Thames in east London, England, linking the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and part of the A102 road. The northern portal lies just south ...

. He went into the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

in 1959 and served in the Royal Scots Greys for four years.Business Profile: Persimmon's master builder
Daily Telegraph, 19 March 2006 In 1963 he joined

George Wimpey George Wimpey was a British construction firm. Formed in 1880 and based in Hammersmith, it initially operated largely as a road surfacing contractor. The business was acquired by Godfrey Mitchell in 1919, and he developed it into a constructi ...

where he managed construction work in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

.Persimmon builder to quit builder next year
''The Independent'', 22 April 2005 In 1965, he founded ''Ryedale Homes'' which he sold seven years later to Comben Homes for £1 million. In 1972, he founded

and expanded it into one of the

's largest housebuilding businesses. He retired as Executive Chairman in 2006 but remains Life President. He owns of land in

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land ...

and lives at Lilburn Tower near

Wooler Wooler ( ) is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, near the Cheviot Hills. It is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots". As well as many shops ...

Family

Duncan Davidson married Sarah in 1966; the couple have four daughters.

References

1941 births People educated at Ampleforth College Royal Scots Greys officers English businesspeople Living people People from Wooler {{UK-business-bio-1940s-stub