Gore, Thomas

, a heraldic writer, was born of an ancient family at Alderton, in Wiltshire, in 1631, and was educated at Magdalen college, Oxford. Thence he went to Lincoln’s-inn, but probably with no serious purpose to study the law, as he retired afterwards to his patrimony at Alderton. Here his property entitled him to the honour of being appointed high sheriff of Wiltshire in 1680, at which time some unjust aspersions on his character induced him to write a defence entitled “Loyalty displayed, and falsehood unmasked,” &c. Lond. 1681, 4to. He died March 31, 1684, at Alderton, leaving a variety of curious Mss. and printed collections on his favourite study of heraldry. His publications were, 1. “A Table shewing how to blazon a coat ten several ways,” 1655, a single sheet copied from Feme. 2. “Series Alphabetica, LatinoAnglica, Nomina Gentilitiorum, sive cognominum plurimarum familiarum, quse multos per annos in Anglia floruere,” Oxon. 1667, 8vo. A copy of this rare book is in the British Museum. 3. “Catalogus in certa capita, seu Classes, alphabetico ordine concinnatusj, plerorumque omnium Authorum (tarn antiquorum quam recentiorum) qui de re Heraldica, Latine, Gallice, Ital. Hisp. &c. scripserunt,” Ox. 1C68, reprinted with enlargements, 1674. 4. “Nomenclator geographicus,” &c. Ox. 1667, 8vo. ²