A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Gore, Ralph (a)
GORE. (Retired Commander, 1835. f-p., 23; h-p., 29.)
Ralph Gore, born 15 May, 1781, is son of the Hon. Paul Gore, of Wexford (brother of the second Earl of Arran, K.P.), by Anne, daughter of Wm. Leonard, Esq.; uncle of Lieut.-Colonel Arthur Gore; and first-cousin of Commander Hon. Edw. Gore, R.N.
This officer entered the Nayy, 15 May, 1795, as Fst.-cl. Boy, on board the Melampus of 42 guns and 267 men, Capts. Sir Rich. John Strachan and Graham Moore; under the former of whom, when off St. Maloes, in company with the Hebe 38, he assisted at the capture, 3 July following, of six out of 13 French vessels, laden with military stores, and convoyed by a ship of 26 guns, and also by two armed brigs, one of which., La Vésuve, was likewise taken. While employed under Capt. Moore, we find him contributing to the further capture of the French national ships Etonnant of 18 guns, Etna of 20 guns, Volage of 22 guns and 195 men, and Résolue of 40 guns and 500 men, including troops. The latter frigate was taken on 14 Oct. 179S, and was one of a squadron of ships that had been previously defeated under Commodore Bompart during an action in which the Melampus had had but 1 man wounded. After leaving the latter vessel, Mr. Gore joined a 50-gun ship, whose name has escaped us, and was for some time employed, as Master’s Mate, in the conveyance of Russian troops from Revel to Holland. Removing, in 1800, to the Cerberus 32, Capt. Jas. Macnamara, he served, dunng the remainder of the war, in that ship on the Jamaica station, where, on 14 April, 1802, he was engaged in the capture of a pirate. He was confirmed a Lieutenant, 15 Oct. following (after having acted for nearly three months as such), in the Shark sloop, Capt. J. B. Heron; and was subsequently appointed – in 1803, for a short time, to the Bellerophon 74, Commodore John Loring, under whom he witnessed the surrender of Cape François, St. Domingo – 6 Dec. 1804, to the Proselyte 24, Capt. Geo. Sayer, also on the West India station, whence he returned home, as First of L’Alexandre ship of the line – 21 Nov. 1806, as Senior, to the Décade 38, Capt. Stewart, in the Channel – in 1809 to the Sea Fencibles – in 1812, after two years of half-pay, to the Deptford tender, which he commanded, on Impress service, until Aug. 1816 – and, in 1820, to the Coast Guard. He left the latter service in 1826, and accepted his present rank 15 April, 1835.
Commander Gore appears to have been employed for some time previously to Dec. 1841 in the Royal Hospital at Chelsea. He married, 4 Feb. 1809, Frances, daughter of Major Alex. Hay, Esq., of Dublin, and has issue two sons. Agents – Case and Loudonsack.