Sir Ralph Gore, 4th Baronet (c. 1675 – 23 February 1733) was a

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

of the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fra ...

. He is now chiefly remembered for building Belle Isle Castle. The Gore Baronetcy, of Magherabegg in the County of Donegal, was created in the Baronetage of Ireland on 2 February 1622 for Paul Gore (shown also as 1st baronet of Manor Gore, the Anglicized version). Ralph was the eldest son of

Sir William Gore, 3rd Baronet Sir William Gore, 3rd Baronet PC (Ire) (died 1700) was an Anglo-Irish baronet and magistrate. He was the oldest son of Sir Ralph Gore, 2nd Baronet and his wife Anne Caulfeild, second daughter of William Caulfeild, 2nd Baron Caulfeild. In 1661, ...

and his wife Hannah Hamilton, daughter and co-heiress of James Hamilton of

Manorhamilton Manorhamilton () is the second-largest town in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located on the N16 from Sligo and from Enniskillen. History Before the Plantations of Ireland, the settlement was known, and continues to be known in the Ir ...

and niece of

Gustavus Hamilton, 1st Viscount Boyne Gustavus Hamilton, 1st Viscount Boyne PC (Ire) (1642–1723) was an Irish soldier and politician. In his youth, he fought in his cousin Sir George Hamilton's regiment for the French in the Franco-Dutch War. About 1678 he obtained a commission ...

. Ralph inherited the estate of Manorhamilton from his mother. He was appointed

High Sheriff of Leitrim The High Sheriff of Leitrim was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Leitrim, Ireland from c.1582 until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Leitrim County Sheriff. The sheriff h ...

for 1710. The fourth Baronet served as

Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer The Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland was the head of the Exchequer of Ireland and a member of the Dublin Castle administration under the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the Kingdom of Ireland. In early times the title was sometimes given as Ch ...

and as Speaker of the

. He represented Donegal Borough in the

from 1703 until 1713 and then Donegal County from 1713 until 1727. Subsequently, he sat for

Clogher Clogher () is a village and civil parish in the border area of south County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Blackwater, 5.8 miles from the border crossing to County Monaghan. It stands on the townlands of Clogher Demesne and ...

until his death in 1733.

Family

He married firstly Elizabeth Colville, daughter of Sir Robert Colville of Newtown House,

Newtownards Newtownards is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles (16 km) east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. It is in the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Newtownard ...

,; Elizabeth was most likely the child of Colville's third wife Rose Leslie. Gore married secondly, Elizabeth Ashe, daughter of St George Ashe,

Bishop of Clogher The Bishop of Clogher is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Clogher in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Following the Reformation, there are now parallel apostolic successions: one of the Church of Ireland and the ot ...

and his wife (and distant cousin) Jane St George, daughter of Sir George St George of Dunmore, County Galway and Elizabeth Hannay. By his first wife, he had two daughters, including Rose, who married

Anthony Malone Anthony Malone (5 December 1700 – 8 May 1776) was an Irish lawyer and politician. Life The eldest son of Richard Malone of Baronston (or Baronstown) House, Ballynacarrigy, County Westmeath, who was a barrister like his three eldest sons, and ...

, Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer, but had no issue. By his second wife, he had seven children, including St George Gore-St George, who succeeded to the baronetcy, but died young without issue,

Ralph Gore, 1st Earl of Ross General The Rt Hon. Ralph Gore, 1st Earl of Ross (23 November 1725 – September 1802), known as Sir Ralph Gore, 6th Baronet, from 1746 until 1764, subsequently as The Baron Gore until 1768, and then as The Viscount Belleisle until 1772, was an ...

, Richard, father of Sir Ralph Gore, 7th baronet, and Elizabeth, who married James Daly and had issue, including the High Court judge

St George Daly St George Daly (1758 – December 1829) was an Irish judge, who had a reputation for ignorance of the law. He owed his career advancement entirely to his support for the Act of Union 1801, which did nothing to enhance his standing in the lega ...

and the politician Denis Daly. His grandfather had acquired Belle Island in

Lough Erne Lough Erne ( , ) is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is the second-biggest lake system in Northern Ireland and Ulster, and the fourth biggest in Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River Erne, ...

: it was Ralph who built Belle Isle Castle on the island, which was extended and improved by his son, the younger Ralph. The present holder of the baronetcy lives in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

References

1670s births 1733 deaths 18th-century Anglo-Irish people Baronets in the Baronetage of Ireland High Sheriffs of Leitrim Irish MPs 1703–1713 Irish MPs 1713–1714 Irish MPs 1715–1727 Irish MPs 1727–1760 Chancellors of the Exchequer of Ireland Speakers of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) Members of the Privy Council of Ireland

Ralph Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...

Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Donegal constituencies Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Tyrone constituencies {{Ireland-baronet-stub