xvi 
MEMOIR OP GENERAL SIR WILLIAM 
and in tlie four days fighting in front of Bayonne; during which he again brought 
himself to the notice of his chief, General Hay, by the clever manner in which he 
dislodged (with only two guns) a portion of the enemy who had taken up a 
commanding position on a height, and was by him mentioned so favourably to the 
Duke, that the latter wrote home and recommended Gator for a Majority, which 
rank was bestowed on him “as a mark of Boyal favour ” on 12th April, 1814. 
Major Gator was engaged in the attack on Toulouse in April (Easter Sunday). 
He was on several occasions mentioned in despatches by Sir Alexander Dickson 
and General Fisher. 
He returned home at the conclusion of peace. 
In March 1815, the year after he returned to England, he married the only 
daughter of Sir John Farnaby, Bart., of Wickham Court, Kent, by whom he had 
a family of three sons and four daughters. 
Major Cator remained in the Horse Artillery, and in 1819 moved with his 
troop to Bingmer in Sussex, and remained in command of it till 1823, in con¬ 
sequence of his Captain, Colonel Webber Smith, being abroad.. 
During this period he again had an opportunity of displaying great ability in 
his favourite pastime. He established for the first time, and for the several successive 
seasons he was stationed at Bingmer, he had the entire control of a subscription 
pack of foxhounds, the present “ South Down,” in those days called “ The East 
Sussex,” which he for one or two seasons hunted himself. 
In 1823 he exchanged with the late Colonel Charles Blachley, into Sir Hew Boss’ 
the famed “ Chesnut Troop ” that colour, with which its past career of glory had 
always been associated, being still proudly retained, and remained at Bingmer in 
Command, Sir Hew Boss having an appointment in the north. He was promoted to 
the rank of 1st Captain, 29th July, 1825, and appointed to command the same troop. 
In 1827 he moved with it to Sheffield, and was quartered there till 1831, when 
he marched to Athlone, having received his promotion as Brevet Lieut.-Colonel, 
22nd July of the previous year (1830). 
While at Athlone, Cator was selected by Sir Hussey Vivian, then Commander- 
in-Chief in Ireland, to take charge of a force of cavalry and infantry, which was 
Ordeted to proceed to Galway, previous to the borough and county elections, when 
great disturbances were anticipated. 
On this occasion as on many others, Cator’s well known courteous manner and 
good humour bore him successfully through the difficulties with which he had to 
Contend. His arrangements were so well conceived, that no collision took place 
between the military and the mob ; in consequence of which he received the thanks 
of the Government. 
In 1833 he moved with his troop to Dublin, where he remained until ordered 
to Woolwich in 1835. 
He gave up the command on promotion, 10th January, 1837, when he was 
posted to the 2nd Battalion. 
In the same year, however, he was again fortunate enough, to be re-appointed to 
that brilliant branch of the Corps, the Boyal Horse Artillery, with which he served 
at Woolwich till 1842, when the command of the S.W. or Limerick district 
Of Ireland was given to him, and he retained it till 1847. He had been promoted 
to a full Colonelcy on 9th November, 1846, when he was attached to the 6th 
Battalion. 
Colonel Cator had thus spent no less than 38 years of his career in the Horse 
Artillery, a period of which he ever retained the proudest and fondest recollections. 
In October 1848 he proceeded to Gibraltar, where he was appointed to command 
tlie Boyal Artillery with the rank of Colonel on the staff; 
