Sir Geoffrey Edmund Cator CMG (14 August 1884 – 21 April 1973)[2] was a British administrator in the Malayan Civil Service.

Sir Geoffrey Cator
Cator in c.1939
19th British Resident of Perak
In office
1933–1939
MonarchsGeorge V
Edward VIII
George VI
Preceded byBertram Walter Elles
Succeeded byMarcus Rex
15th British Resident of Selangor
In office
July 1932 – 1933
Preceded byJames Lornie
Succeeded byGeorge Ernest London
2nd British Resident of Labuan
In office
February 1917 – 1918
Preceded byMalcolm McArthur
Succeeded byunknown
6th British Resident to Brunei
In office
1916–1921
Preceded byErnest Barton Maundrell
Succeeded byLucien Allen Arthur
Personal details
Born14 August 1884
Lacock, Wiltshire, England
Died21 April 1973(1973-04-21) (aged 88)
Hindhead, Surrey, England[1]
Spouse
Elizabeth Margaret Wynne Mostyn
(m. 1922; died 1967)
[2]
Parents
  • Robert Cator[2] (father)
  • Evelyn Susan Sotheron Estcourt[2] (mother)
OccupationColonial administrator

Biography

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Cator was born in Lacock, Wiltshire,[3] the son of brewer Robert Cator of Bath and Evelyn Susan Sotheron Estcourt.[2][4] He married Elizabeth Margaret Wynne Mostyn in 1922; they had a son, Peter John Cator (26 October 1924 – 22 January 2006) and daughter Rosemary Ann Cator.[2] Initially assigned to Kuala Kangsar, he held the position of Collector of Land Revenue and frequently participated in football games with the Malay College students, a sport he possessed some skill in.[5]

 
Jalan Cator in Brunei, 2023

Sir Geoffrey joined the Malayan Civil Service in 1907[6] until 1939. He was the British Resident of Brunei from May 1916 until March 1921. Later he was posted as the Superintendent of Government Monopolies of Straits Settlements, the District Officer of Klang and also member of the Legislative Council of Federated Malay States. He was the British Resident of Selangor (1932-1933) and British Resident of Perak (1933-1939). His last post was the head of the Malay States Information Agency in London. He was made a Knight Bachelor in the 1946 New Year Honours.[7] He had previously been awarded the CMG in 1936.[8]

1948 saw his retirement as a Malayan Agent. One of his responsibilities in that position was to see Sybil Kathigasu in the hospital following the Second World War; he accomplished this duty and did so with his wife, Lizzy. Using modern medicine, especially quinine, to combat malaria was one of his main concerns while he was in Perak. He died in England, 1973.[5]

Contributions

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During the World War II, Sir Geoffrey also responsible for planning the war strategy, initially he published some written reviews, when Malaya was ambushed by the Japanese. His publications were,

  • "Malaya's war effort", Asiatic Review (1940)
  • "Malaya: The first year", Asiatic Review (1940)
  • "Course of Japanese invasion of Malaya", Crown Colonist (February 1942)
  • "Malaya and the Japanese attack", Asiatic Review (1942)
  • "Malaya: a retrospect", Asiatic Review (1942)

Namesakes

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References

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  1. ^ "Deaths". The Times. 23 April 1973. p. 12.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Cator, Sir Geoffrey". Who was Who. 1 December 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U153058. ISBN 978-0-19-954089-1.
  3. ^ 1891 England Census
  4. ^ Wiltshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1916
  5. ^ a b "Welcome to IpohWorld.org Database Search Engine sponsored by iosc.net- Admin System". db.ipohworld.org. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  6. ^ "No. 28074". The London Gazette. 1 November 1907. p. 7309.
  7. ^ "No. 37407". The London Gazette. 28 December 1945. p. 2.
  8. ^ "No. 34238". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1935. p. 5.
  9. ^ Atiyah, Jeremy (2002). Southeast Asia. Rough Guides. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-85828-893-2.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by British Resident of Labuan
1917 – 1918
Succeeded by
unknown
Preceded by British Resident of Selangor
1932 – 1933
Succeeded by
George Ernest London
Preceded by British Resident of Perak
1933 – 1939
Succeeded by
Preceded by British Resident to Brunei
1916–1921
Succeeded by