John Gore, 1st Baron Annaly

Biography

He was the second son of George Gore, judge of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland). George was in turn the son of Sir Arthur Gore, 1st Baronet. Annaly's mother was Bridget Sankey, younger daughter of John Sankey and Eleanor Morgan. His mother brought his father a fortune and the manor of Tenelick in County Longford, which came to John on the death of his brother Arthur in 1758. Gore was called to the Bar by King's Inns and worked as barrister-at-law.

In 1760 Gore was appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland, a post he held until 1764, when he became Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Ireland. In the same year he was sworn of the Privy Council of Ireland. On 17 January 1766, Gore was elevated to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Annaly, of Tenelick in the County of Longford. In the following year he was elected Speaker of the Irish House of Lords.

He was a popular, witty and unassuming man, and a keen sportsman. In politics he was considered a strong reactionary, arguing that the Crown had the right to keep Parliament sitting indefinitely, and he was opposed to any extension of the powers of the Irish Parliament; in his later years he was inclined to denounce the Irish people as "idle and licentious". Ball notes however that Henry Grattan liked and admired Gore despite their strongly opposed political views. His judicial qualities were viciously attacked in an anonymous satire: "Without judgement, a judge makes justice unjust". Ball on the other hand argues that his judgements and speeches in the House of Commons show that he did not lack ability.

In 1747, Gore married Frances Wingfield, second daughter of Richard Wingfield, 1st Viscount Powerscourt. but was revived for his brother Henry, first and last Baron Annaly of the second creation. Lady Annaly died in 1794, and is buried at St Marylebone Parish Church, London.

References

References

1. "Leigh Rayment - Peerage".
2. "ThePeerage - John Gore, 1st and last Baron Annaly of Tenelick".
3. Ball, F. Ellrington ''The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921'' London John Murray 1926 Vol.2 p. 213
4. "Leigh Rayment - Irish House of Commons 1692-1800".
5. Haydn, Joseph. (1851). "The Book of Dignities: Containing Rolls of the Official Personages of the British Empire". Longman, Brown, Green and Longman's.
6. Lodge, John. (1789). "The Peerage of Ireland or A Genealogical History of the Present Nobility of that Kingdom". James Moore.
7. "Leigh Rayment - Privy Council of Ireland".
8. {{London Gazette. (24 December 1765)
9. Ball pp. 159–60
10. Ball p. 159
11. "Marylebone Pages 242-279 The Environs of London: Volume 3, County of Middlesex. Originally published by T Cadell and W Davies, London, 1795.".