George Ross Gordon (fl. 1832), like his brother, entered the army and served in the 42nd regiment in Ireland. He was afterwards teacher of a Gaelic school at Morness in Sutherlandshire, and was living in 1832. His poems, also in Gaelic, were published while he was in Ireland in 1804-5. Besides his own poems, and the two by William Gordon referred to above, the volume includes two pieces by another brother, Alexander Gordon, who was a mason at Tain in Ross-shire. G. R. Gordon and A. Gordon both wrote other pieces, which do not seem to have been published.
[J. Reid's Bibliotheca Scoto-Celtica, pp. 164-166.]
GORDON, WILLIAM, M.D. (1800–1849), philanthropist, born at Fountains Hall, near Ripon, 2 Aug. 1800, studied medicine at London and Edinburgh, where he took the degree of M.D. 1841. Before this he had been engaged in medical work, chiefly at Welton in Northumberland. He also published in 1828 a small work on the practice of surgery, and in 1832 'A Critical Enquiry concerning a New Membrane in the Eye,' besides various fugitive scientific contributions. In 1832 he was elected a member of the Linnean Society. Upon taking his degree he settled in Hull, where he soon acquired considerable reputation by his active exertions in various philanthropic directions. He delivered a great number of popular scientific lectures, was president of the Hull Christian Temperance Society, and a strenuous temperance advocate. He also promoted such political measures as he conceived to be for the interests of the working classes, with whom he was specially popular. He devoted to them gratuitously much of his professional time. He died at Hull 7 Feb. 1849. Gordon was married and had one child, who married the Rev. Newman Hall. A work entitled 'The Christian Philanthropist triumphing over Death, a narrative of the closing scenes of the Life of the late William Gordon, M.D., F.L.S.' (1849), was published by his son-inlaw. It had a very large sale, was translated into Italian (1854) and republished in an abridged form (5th ed. 1851).
[Memoir referred to, Gent. Mag. April 1849, p. 431.]
GORDON-CUMMING, ROUALEYN GEORGE (1820–1866). [See Cumming.]
GORE, Mrs. CATHERINE GRACE FRANCES (1799–1861), novelist and dramatist, daughter of C. Moody, a wine merchant, was born in 1799 at East Retford, Nottinghamshire, but there is no entry of her baptism in the church of England register at that place. At an early age she exhibited literary genius, and was called by her young companions 'The Poetess.' She composed a concluding canto to 'Childe Harold,' which with another poem, entitled 'The Graves of the North,' received great commendation from Joanna Baillie, but were never printed. On 15 Feb. 1823 she married, at St. George's, Hanover Square, Captain Charles Arthur Gore, who was gazetted cornet and sub-lieutenant of the 1st life guards 8 Nov. 1819, lieutenant and captain 1822, and retired from the service in 1823.
From the time of her marriage Mrs. Gore was actively engaged in writing and publishing. Her first printed work is said to have been a poem called 'The Two Broken Hearts,' which was followed in 1824 by her first novel, 'Theresa Marchmont, or the Maid of Honour.' In 1826 a work named 'Richelieu, or the Broken Heart,' an historical tale, was generally attributed to Mrs. Gore. Then came 'The Lettre de Cachet' in 1827. In 1831 she commenced her career as a dramatist by producing at the Haymarket Theatre, London, a five-act comedy called 'The School for Coquettes,' which had a brilliant run of thirty nights. Her play of 'Lords and Commons,' a superior production, was coldly received at Drury Lane, and withdrawn after a few nights' representation. To these she added in 1835 two comedies, 'The King's Seal' and 'King O'Neil,' besides two pieces imitated from the French, 'The Queen's Champion' and 'The Maid of Croissy.' In 1827 she became well known as a musical composer. Her original melody to the words of Burns, 'And ye shall walk in silk attire,' the song of the highland chief beginning 'Welcome, welcome,' and the ballad 'The Three Long Years,' were among the favourite songs of the day. With her husband and family she went to France in 1832, where she resided for some years, and it was not until 1836 that her next good novel appeared, entitled 'Mrs. Armytage, or Female Domination.' Year by year she now brought out several volumes. In 1841 was published 'Cecil, or the Adventures of a Coxcomb,' which produced a great sensation. In it is displayed a considerable knowledge of the London clubs, for which she was indebted to William Beckford, the author of 'Vathek.' Her next best novel, published in 1843, was 'The Banker's Wife,' dedicated to her guardian, Sir John Dean Paul, bart. It is a curious fact that in this work there is described such a dishonest banker as Paul himself afterwards proved to be. By the bankruptcy of Strahan, Paul, & Bates, on 11 June 1855,
