Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Gore, John (1772-1836)
GORE, Sir JOHN (1772–1836), vice-admiral, second son of Colonel John Gore of the 33rd regiment, and afterwards lieutenant-governor of the Tower, collaterally related to the family of the earls of Arran (Foster, Peerage), was born at Kilkenny on 9 Feb. 1772. He joined the Canada, under the command of the Hon. William Cornwallis [q. v.], in 1781, and served in her during the eventful West Indian campaign of 1782, returning to England towards the end of the year. He afterwards served for three years, 1783–6, in the Iphigenia frigate in the West Indies, and on her paying off was appointed to the Royal Charlotte yacht with his old captain, Cornwallis. He afterwards followed Cornwallis to the Crown, in which Cornwallis went out as commodore of the East India station. In November 1789 he was promoted to be lieutenant, returned home in the Crown in 1791, and in 1793 was appointed to the Lowestoft frigate, in which he went out to the Mediterranean. From her he was moved into the Britannia, and afterwards into the Victory, bearing Lord Hood's flag; served with distinction during the operations at Toulon and in Corsica, and on the surrender of Bastia on 22 May 1794, was promoted to the command of La Flèche, a captured corvette. In the following November he was posted into the Windsor Castle of 98 guns, bearing the flag of Rear-admiral Linzee, and commanded her in the actions off Toulon on 13 March and 13 July 1795. He was then appointed to the Censeur, one of the prizes, and was taken prisoner in her when she was recaptured by the French squadron off Cape St. Vincent on 7 Oct. After his return home Gore successively commanded the Robust of 74 guns, and the Alcmène frigate, and in September 1796 was appointed to the Triton, a 32-gun frigate, which he commanded in the Channel for nearly five years. During this time he captured a very considerable number of the enemy's small cruisers and privateers, and on 18 Oct. 1799 assisted in the capture of the Santa Brigida and Thetis, two Spanish frigates, each of 36 guns, homeward bound with treasure from Vera Cruz, and of enormous value. Gore's share alone, as a captain, amounted to upwards of 40,000l. In consequence of an injury he received by the bursting of a gun, Gore was compelled to leave the Triton in the spring of 1801; but a few months later he was appointed to the Medusa, in which, during the operations off Boulogne, Lord Nelson hoisted his flag. The Medusa was afterwards sent into the Mediterranean, and was at Constantinople, in attendance on the ambassador, when Gore learned that the war was likely to recommence. He at once, and without orders, sailed to rejoin the admiral, Sir Richard Bickerton, and was employed as senior officer of the inshore squadron off Toulon, until the arrival of Lord Nelson in July 1803, when he was sent to Gibraltar as senior officer in command of a small squadron to cruise in the Straits, with especial orders to look out for French ships of war sent to strengthen the Toulon fleet. In this service he continued for upwards of a year, and had joined Captain Moore off Cadiz, when on 5 Oct. 1804 the squadron captured three Spanish frigates, carrying specie and cargo to a value of considerably more than a million sterling [see Moore, Sir Graham]. Gore's share must have been at least another 40,000l. The Medusa being in want of repair was then sent home, and at Gore's request was chosen by his godfather, the Marquis Cornwallis, to take him to India. On 21 Feb. 1805 Gore received the honour of knighthood, and sailed for Calcutta on 15 April. He returned to England early in the following year, and was shortly afterwards appointed to the Revenge of 74 guns, in which he was actively employed in the Bay of Biscay. Early in 1807 he joined Collingwood off Cadiz, and continued there under the command of Rear-admiral Purvis till June 1808, when he carried the Spanish commissioners for peace and alliance to England. From 1810 to 1812 he commanded the Tonnant in the Bay of Biscay and on the coast of Portugal, and in November 1812 was again appointed to the Revenge, which was sent out to the Mediterranean. During the summer of 1813 he had command of the inshore squadron off Toulon; and from his promotion to the rank of rear-admiral, 4 Dec. 1813, with his flag in the Revenge, he commanded the detached squadron in the Adriatic until the peace. In January 1815 he was nominated a K.C.B., and from 1818 to 1821 was commander-in-chief at the Nore. On 27 May 1825 he was advanced to the rank of vice-admiral. In 1827 he was sent by his royal highness the lord high admiral on a special mission to the Mediterranean, after the battle of Navarino, on which he reported entirely in Codrington's favour (Bourchier, Life of Sir Edward Codrington, ii. 136). From December 1831 to 1835 he was commander-in-chief in the East Indies. During this time his only son, serving as his flag-lieutenant, was drowned in attempting to save a seaman who had fallen overboard. The loss affected him deeply, and presumably hastened his death, which took place on 21 Aug. 1836 at Datchett, where he was buried. He married in 1808 Georgiana, eldest daughter of Admiral Sir George Montagu, by whom, in addition to the only son just spoken of, he had six daughters.
[Marshall's Roy. Nav. Biog. vi. (Supplement, pt. ii.) 466; Gent. Mag. 1886, new ser. vi. 540; Ralfe's Nav. Biog. iv. 460; United Service Journal, 1836, pt. iii. p. 243; Nicolas's Nelson Despatches (see Index at end of vol. vii).]