Francis Gore (cricketer)

Francis William George Gore DL TD (22 June 1855 – 17 July 1938) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.

The son of the Reverend George Gore and his wife, Frances Anne Rous, he was born in Somerset at Newton St Loe.[1] He was educated at Harrow School,[2] before going up to Christ Church, Oxford.[3] Gore was also a student of the Inner Temple, but was never called to the bar.[3] He made a single appearance in first-class cricket when he played for I Zingari against Yorkshire in the Scarborough Festival of 1881.[4] Batting twice in the match, he was dismissed without scoring by Edmund Peate in the I Zingari first-innings, while in their second-innings of 236 all out he was unbeaten without scoring.[5] He married Lady Constance Grace Milles, the daughter of George Milles, 1st Earl Sondes, in October 1885.[1] He served as the deputy lieutenant of Monmouthshire in 1889–90.[6]

Gore later served in the Second Boer War with the North Somerset Yeomanry, holding the rank of lieutenant in April 1900,[7] with promotion to the rank of captain coming in January 1901.[8] He was promoted to the rank of major the following April.[9] Gore later transferred to the City of London Yeomanry in April 1908,[10] with promotion to the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel coming shortly before his transfer in March 1908.[11] Gore served in the First World War, obtaining the full rank of lieutenant colonel in November 1914,[12] before reverting shortly after at his own request to the rank of major and honorary lieutenant colonel.[13] He was again promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in January 1917, antedated to June 1916.[14] He retired from active service in February 1920, having reached the age limit for service, at which point he was decorated with the Territorial Decoration.[15] He also served during his life as a justice of the peace for Glamorgan.[1] Gore died in July 1938 at Victoria, London. He was survived by his wife and three of their four children.[1] His brothers-in-law, Henry Milles and George Milles-Lade, both played first-class cricket.