# Royal Naval Biography/Gore, Edward

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HON. EDWARD GORE. [Commander.]
Eldest son of the second Earl of Arran, K.P., by his third countess, Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Underwood, Esq.
This officer was born in Ireland, May 14th, 1797; and entered the royal navy in Feb. 1810, as midshipman on board the Revenge 74, Captain the Hon. Charles Paget, employed in the blockade of Cherbourg. On the 15th Nov. following, he witnessed an attack made by a squadron under the orders of Captain (now Sir Pulteney) Malcolm, on two French frigates, lying at anchor between the batteries of La Hogue and Tatillon, the result of which was the destruction of l’Elize, a ​new ship mounting 44 guns. On this occasion he was slightly wounded in the face by a splinter.
Mr. Gore subsequently served under Captain Malcolm and the late Sir Home Popham, in the Royal Oak and Venerable, third rates, the latter ship employed in co-operation with the patriots on the north coast of Spain, where he. was present at the capture of several forts and towns, including those of Lequitio, Bermeo, Plencia, Galea, Algorta, Bagona, El Campillo las Quersas, Xebiles, Castro, and Ano. He afterwards re-joined the Hon. Captain Paget, and proceeded with that officer, in the Superb 74, to North America, where he was very actively employed, principally in the neighbourhood of New London, until the termination of hostilities in 1815. Among other boat services in which he participated, we find him, June 13th, 1814, assisting in the destruction of the ship Fair Trader, of 444 tons, quite new, built for a letter of marque, and intended to mount eighteen long 12-pounders; the brig Independent, of 300 tons, pierced for fourteen guns, and about to be launched as a privateer; 1778 tons of merchant shipping; and a cotton manufactory, lately built, near Wareham, in Buzzard’s Bay, the value of which, with the stores it contained at the time, was estimated by the principal inhabitants at half a million of dollars. This service was performed, without loss, by a division of boats under the command of Lieutenant James Garland, first of the Superb, in the face of a numerous militia. Mr. Gore was also in a rocket boat at the bombardment of Stonington, Aug. 11th, 1814. He returned home under the flag of the late Hon. Sir Henry Hotham, and continued in the Superb, on the Channel station, until after the surrender of Napoleon Buonaparte, in July 1815.
We next find Mr. Gore serving as master’s-mate of the Fury bomb. Captain C. R. Moorsom, at the battle of Algiers; and subsequently in the Egeria 28, on the Newfoundland station, where he was acting lieutenant of the Fly sloop, ​Captain John Baldwin, in Oct. 1817. This appointment appears to have been confirmed at home on the 9th Dec. following.
The Fly was wintering at St. John’s when Vice-Admiral Pickmore died there in Feb. 1818. The next day she was ordered to commence cutting through the ice, for the purpose of conveying despatches and the remains of the deceased governor to England; but although several hundred men were employed in assisting her crew, many days elapsed before she got fairly to sea. On her passage home, she met with a tremendous gale, and had her best bower anchor washed from the bow, although secured by extra lashings.
Lieutenant Gore’s next appointment was, April 26th, 1819, to the Tamar 26, in which ship he visited the coast of Labrador, where she was re-equipped by her own officers and crew, without any additional assistance, after getting ashore, and losing her main and mizen masts and rudder.
In Sept. 1827, the subject of this sketch was appointed to the Melville 74; in. Nov. following, to the Victory 104; and in June 1828, to the Royal Sovereign yacht, as flag-lieutenant to the Lord High Admiral, by whom he was promoted to his present rank on the 8th Aug. in the same year.
* ↑ See Vol. II. Part I. p. 300, et seq.
* ↑ See Vol. II. Part II. pp 623–627.
* ↑ See Suppl. Part IV. p. 207.