Geoffrey Cator

The Honourable
Sir Geoffrey Cator
CMG
Cator in c.1939
19th British Resident of Perak
In office
1933–1939
Monarchs George V
Edward VIII
George VI
Preceded by Bertram Walter Elles
Succeeded by Marcus Rex
15th British Resident of Selangor
In office
July 1932 – 1933
Preceded by James Lornie
Succeeded by George Ernest London
2nd British Resident of Labuan
In office
February 1917 – 1918
Preceded by Malcolm McArthur
Succeeded by unknown
6th British Resident to Brunei
In office
1916–1921
Preceded by Ernest Barton Maundrell
Succeeded by Lucien Allen Arthur
Personal details
Born 14 August 1884
Lacock, Wiltshire, England
Died 21 April 1973 (aged 88)
Hindhead, Surrey, England
Spouse
Elizabeth Margaret Wynne Mostyn
​
​
(m. 1922; died 1967)​
Parents
  • Robert Cator (father)
  • Evelyn Susan Sotheron Estcourt (mother)
Occupation Colonial administrator

Sir Geoffrey Edmund Cator (14 August 1884 – 21 April 1973) was an English diplomat mainly active in the Malayan Civil Service.

Biography

Cator was born in Lacock, Wiltshire, the son of brewer Robert Cator of Bath and Evelyn Susan Sotheron Estcourt. 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. 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.

Jalan Cator in Brunei, 2023

Sir Geoffrey joined the Malayan Civil Service in 1907 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. He had previously been awarded the CMG in 1936.

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.

Contributions

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