Humphrey Gore

Humphrey Gore was born in 1670 into a Protestant family, and entered the army as an ensign in the infantry in 1689. He fought with distinction in the Nine Years War, in the army of King William III, which ended with the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697. He also served in the army of Queen Anne during which time he reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel. On 1 Feb 1707 he was appointed Colonel of a newly raised regiment of Foot and went with the regiment to Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). On 1 Jan 1710 he was given command of a brigade with the rank of brigadier-general, and took part in the battles of Almanara and Saragossa. The army advanced on Madrid, then retreated towards Valencia. At Brihuega, in December 1710, General Stanhope’s army was besieged and forced to surrender. Brigadier-General Gore was taken prisoner by the French.
At the Peace of Utrecht (1713-1715) he was released but his regiment was disbanded. At a time when Jacobite tendencies had become prevalent Gore’s Protestantism gave him an advantage when the Hanoverian King George acceded to the throne. He was given a Royal commission to raise a regiment of dragoons on 22 July 1715. The regiment was known as Gore’s Dragoons for the next eight years, until 12 Jan 1723 when he exchanged to the 1st Royal Dragoons. He was promoted to major-general on 6 Mar 1727 and lieutenant general on 29 Oct 1735. He died on 18 August 1739. There is a monument in the Church of St Mary and St Nicholas, Leatherhead inscribed ‘Lieutenant-General Humphrey Gore, Colonel of H.M.’s Own Royal Regiment of Dragoons.’

10th Dragoons Regimental Details | Colonels