Graham Gore

Graham Gore in 1845

**Graham Gore** was a lieutenant on *HMS Erebus* during the Franklin expedition.

## Early Life

Graham Gore was born in 1808 or 1809 in Hampshire, England. He was the son of John and Sarah Gore (née Gilmour), and the second eldest of six surviving children.

Gore's grandfather, also named John Gore, was an American sailor who later joined the Royal Navy in 1755. John Gore, Sr. sailed on the *HMS Dolphin* and was later personally selected by James Cook to serve as a lieutenant on the *HMS Endeavour* in 1768. He would serve under Captain Cook until Cook's death in Hawaii in 1779.

Gore's father, also an officer, worked in both commercial sailing ventures and the Royal Navy. He was later promoted to First Lieutenant and held the rank when his son was born, and further onward became Captain of the *HMS Dotterel,* on which a twenty two-year-old Francis Crozier served as Mate. Upon his retirement, he had been promoted to Rear Admiral.

Royal Naval records suggest that Graham Gore was born and raised in Plymouth. A letter written by his father to the Admiralty says that the eleven-year-old Graham had been "educated by myself and Mr. Bridge, Schoolmaster of Barnstaple".

## Early Naval Career

Gore entered the Navy on April 27th, 1820 on the *Dotterel* as a replacement for his father's first choice for volunteer. For a year, he would remain on the *Dotterel* with his father, brother, and Crozier until Crozier was appointed to the *HMS Fury.*

In 1822, Gore formally entered the Royal Naval College with his brother. Some time later, his brother would be promoted to Lieutenant and would drown at sea before Gore joined the Franklin Expedition.

Between 1824 and 1828, Gore served on the *HMS Ocean, HMS Albion,* and *HMS Mosquito.* As a Midshipman, Gore served on the *Albion* where his first naval action was at the Battle of Navarino on October 20th, 1827, known as the last battle of Nelson-era wooden ships. He passed his naval examination in 1829.

## Voyage of the *Terror*

In 1836, Gore served as a Mate aboard the *HMS Terror* during Sir George Back's 1836 Arctic expedition in its attempt to survey and explore the North American Arctic coast. The Back Expedition became notorious for the damage sustained on the *Terror* in its attempt to reach Repulse Bay. *Terror*'s injuries were so great that the ship was held together by chains wrapped around the hull, and *Terror* was immediately beached upon reaching western Ireland.

After returning from the *Terror* voyage in 1837, Gore was promoted to Lieutenant.

## Later Naval Career

On November 22nd, 1837, Gore became a lieutenant aboard the *HMS Modeste*. Two months later, however, Gore left the *Modeste* and became a lieutenant aboard *HMS Volage*. During this time, Gore took part in the Aden Expedition in 1839, the Battle of Chuenpi of the First Opium War in China, and the capture of Chusan in 1840.

### *HMS Beagle*

In October 1840, Gore was transferred to the *HMS Herald.* In Sydney, Australia at the time, Gore was not able to locate the *Herald,* but instead found the *HMS Beagle* of Charles Darwin fame. He volunteered to join it and was accepted by Captain John Lort Stokes. During this journey, the *Beagle* surveyed large parts of the Australian coast and was present for the naming of the city of Darwin. Gore served as the unofficial artist of the *Beagle,* and to this day, one of his paintings of Burial Reach and Flinders River remains at the National Library of Australia.

Later in the expedition, Gore was almost severely injured when a gun he was using to hunt cockatoos for food exploded in his hands. Captain Stokes, describing Gore as "my much-valued friend" reported that the explosion had caused Gore to be "stretched at his length at the bottom of the boat". Stunned and with only a minor laceration on his hand, Gore broke the silence by quietly saying, "Killed the bird..." which Stokes happily described as "an expression truly characteristic of a sportsman".

Three years later, In December 1843, Gore was transferred to the steam frigate *HMS Cyclops*.

## Franklin Expedition

On March 8th, 1845, Gore signed up for the Franklin Expedition as a Lieutenant aboard *HMS Erebus*. In May 1847, Gore, 1st Mate Charles Des Voeux, and a party of six men were sent out to King William Island where they left notes at Victory Point, and Gore Point.

## Death

According to the Addendum of the Victory point note, Gore had died sometime before April 25th, 1848. Fitzjames refers to him as "The late commander Gore". Exactly what Gore died from and where his body is, is currently unknown.

## Artifact Recoveries

In 1854, John Rae and his search expedition were given a spoon that was owned by Lt. Gore from the Repulse Bay Inuit.

Five years later, the McClintock search expedition found three items of Gore's inside the boat at the "Boat Place". They were two books ("Christian Melodies" and "A Manual of Private Devotions") and an engraved fork.

## Gallery

One of Gore's spoonsGore's copy of A Manual of Private DevotionGore's copy of Christian MelodiesA sketch of Kirkwall's St Magnus cathedral by Gore