Several famous people have lived within the Caterham and district area; Charles Asprey the jeweller, Joseph Swan the inventor, Mabel Lucie Attwell the artist and author, Sir Adrian Boult the conductor, Lord Robens the cabinet minister and chairman of the National Coal Board, Sir Karl Popper the philosopher and Roger Hargreaves the creator of the Mr Men books.

Others, lesser known, include Sir George William Paton (1859-1934). He lived in Caterham and was chairman of Bryant & May, the brands included England's Glory and Swan Vestas.

Salmons Lane Whyteleafe was the home of the Liberal MP Robert Lowe (1811- 1892), later Viscount Sherbrooke.

Lowe's political career included, at different times, the positions of Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary. He was an albino and despite poor vision was an enthusiastic cyclist, enjoying rides up and down the local hills. Beautiful gardens containing rare plants once graced Well Farm in Whyteleafe, the home of the eminent Sir David Prain (1857-1944), director of Kew Gardens. William Willett Bruce (1862-1953) was the superintendent engineer of the White Star Line between 1904 and 1923. He was the inventor and patentee of a whistle control system used by all the ships of the company from 1908 including Titanic.

Bruce lived in Whyteleafe in 1950. Why not research your locality and discover more famous people!