Francis Gore, (1769 – 3 November 1852) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

military officer and

British colonial The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

administrator in

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

and

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North Americ ...

. Gore was born in

Blackheath, London Blackheath is an area in Southeast London, straddling the border of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Lewisham. It is located northeast of Lewisham, south of Greenwich and southeast of Charing Cross, the traditional ...

, England in 1769 the son of Francis Gore and Caroline Beresford. Francis Gore senior was also a soldier and colonial administrator. Gore Sr became a governor of the West Indies in 1763. He had served in the Portuguese campaign of 1761 as aide-de-camp to Queen Charlotte's brother. Gore was commissioned as an ensign into the

44th Foot The 44th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment in the British Army, raised in 1741. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 56th (West Essex) Regiment of Foot to form the Essex Regiment in 1881. History Early history The regimen ...

in 1787 directly from school at Durham, advancing in 1793 to lieutenant. Gore transferred to the

54th Foot The 54th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Dorsetshire Regiment in 1881. History Early history The ...

in 1794 and the 17th Light Dragoons in 1795. He retired with the rank of

major Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...

and became

Governor of Bermuda The Governor of Bermuda (fully the ''Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Somers Isles (alias the Islands of Bermuda)'') is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Bermuda. For the purposes of this ar ...

from 1805 to 1806, and then Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada from 1806 to 1811. Gore's administration built roads, reorganised the

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

and founded schools. Gore was absent on leave during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

while military authorities ran Upper Canada. His stand-in during this time was

Isaac Brock Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB (6 October 1769 – 13 October 1812) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Guernsey. Brock was assigned to Lower Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he com ...

, who "sought an active role in the impending war as keenly as Gore sought to escape it". Gore resumed his role as lieutenant-governor from 1815 to 1817. During his second term, Gore

prorogue Prorogation in the Westminster system of government is the action of proroguing, or interrupting, a parliament, or the discontinuance of meetings for a given period of time, without a dissolution of parliament. The term is also used for the peri ...

d the Legislative Assembly after it challenged his ban on issuing land grants to American refugees and made other criticisms of his administration. Robert MacIntosh, in his book ''Earliest Toronto'', describes Gore as "a man who was clearly the most incompetent and disliked Lieutenant Governor in the history of Upper Canada". Gore left Canada after his posting in 1817. Gore married Annabella Wentworth, sister of Sir John Wentworth in 1803. They had no children. Gore died in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

, England, on 3 November 1852.

Legacy

Gore Vale, a north–south street on the eastern boundary of

Trinity Bellwoods Park Trinity Bellwoods Park is a public park located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, bordered by Queen Street West on the south and Dundas Street on the north. The western boundary of the park is Crawford Street, several hundred feet before Crawford in ...

on the west side of downtown Toronto, is named after him. The lands of the park were at one time owned by Gore, who gave the ravine the name of "Gore Vale". Most historians believe that the township municipality of

Gore, Quebec Gore is a township municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, located within the Argenteuil Regional County Municipality. Its main community is Lakefield. Geography Located in the Laurentian Mountains, the township consists of rugged Ca ...

, was named after him. Meyer's Creek was renamed Belleville by

United Empire Loyalist United Empire Loyalists (or simply Loyalists) is an honorific title which was first given by the 1st Lord Dorchester, the Governor of Quebec, and Governor General of The Canadas, to American Loyalists who resettled in British North America ...

settlers in honour of his wife Lady Annabella Gore in 1816, after their visit to the settlement.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gore, Francis 1769 births 1852 deaths 54th Regiment of Foot officers 17th Lancers officers Lieutenant-Governors of Upper Canada People from Blackheath, London Governors of Bermuda 44th Regiment of Foot officers