Place Name
Named after Albemarle Cator (1813 – 1868), son of John Barwell Cator who had developed and greatly expanded the landholdings he had inherited from his uncle also called John Cator, a timber merchant and politician. Along with his own uncle, Peter Cator, Albemarle expanded the developments of Beckenham and Blackheath to take advantage of the growth of the railway network during the mid-19thCentury. The Cator family first came to Beckenham in the 18thCentury and built Beckenham Place quickly becoming the leading landowners in the area. The estate covered almost all of the land on the north side of Bromley Road from Shortlands to New Beckenham, and a large part beyond the High Street to Penge.
