Sir Ralph Gore, 4th Baronet

Sir Ralph Gore, 4th Baronet (c. 1675 – 23 February 1733) was an Anglo-Irish Whig politician and baronet, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland from 1717 until his death, and concurrently Speaker of the Irish House of Commons from 1729. He is now chiefly remembered for building Belle Isle Castle.

Gore was the eldest son of Sir William Gore, 3rd Baronet and his wife Hannah Hamilton, daughter and co-heiress of James Hamilton of Manorhamilton and niece of Gustavus Hamilton, 1st Viscount Boyne.^[1] Ralph inherited the estate of Manorhamilton from his mother. In 1693 he entered Trinity College Dublin and may have subsequently trained in law at King's Inns.^[1]

In 1703 he inherited his father's baronetcy and estates, which included over 7,000 acres in County Fermanagh, where Gore subsequently settled. His grandfather had acquired Belle Island in Lough Erne; Gore then built Belle Isle Castle on the island, which was extended and improved by his son.^[1]

He was appointed High Sheriff of Leitrim for 1710.^[2]

Gore was first elected to the Irish House of Commons as a member of parliament for Donegal Borough in 1703. He held the seat until 1713, when he was elected to sit for County Donegal on the interest of his kinsman, James Hamilton, 6th Earl of Abercorn. In 1714, he was made a member of the Privy Council of Ireland having supported the Hanoverian succession.^[1]

Gore was a supporter of the powerful speaker, William Conolly and it was with Conolly's backing that Gore became Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland in 1717. In 1727, he was elected to represent Clogher, a seat he held until his death. When Conolly resigned as speaker in 1729, Gore was elected by the house to replace him.^[1]

He served as one of the Lords Justices of Ireland in 1730 and 1732. After becoming ill in January 1733, Gore died the following month and was buried in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.^[1]

He married firstly Elizabeth Colville, daughter of Sir Robert Colville of Newtown House, Newtownards; 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 and his wife (and distant cousin) Jane St George, daughter of Sir George St George of Dunmore, County Galway and Elizabeth Hannay.^[1] By his first wife, he had two daughters, including Rose, who married Anthony Malone, 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, 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 and the politician Denis Daly.^[3]