John Cator

Who was John Cator?

John Cator was a wealthy timber merchant and landowner responsible for the layout of much of the areas around Blackheath and Beckenham, both in London — and both of which were in the county of Kent during the late 18th century.

The son of John Cator, a Herefordshire timber merchant and Quaker, Cator joined the family business which had relocated to a new London base at Mould Strand Wharf in Southwark, and sought to capitalise on the growth of the capital by investing in property, mainly in south-east London and Kent. In 1778, Fanny Burney wrote…

"Mr. C--, who was formerly a timber-merchant, but having amassed a fortune of one million of pounds, he has left off business. He is a good-natured busy sort of man."

He was Member of Parliament for Wallingford from 1772 to 1780, for Ipswich in 1784, and for Stockbridge from 1790 to 1793. He was appointed High Sheriff of Kent for 1780–81.

Married to Mary Collinson, he was Lord of the Manor of Beckenham from 1773 and devoted much of his energies to transforming the village into a significant suburban town, with opulent houses situated along wide tree-lined avenues.