Thomas Gore

was born of an antient and gentile family living at Aldrington alias Alderton in VVilts. an. 1631, at which place his Ancestors, who originally came from Whitlegh near Melkesham in the said County, have lived about 300 years. In the time of the Rebellion he was educated in Grammar learning at Tetbury in Glocestershire under Mr. Tho. Tully, where being rip’ned for the University, became a Commoner of Magd. Coll. in the month of May 1647, under the tuition first of Joh. King Fellow of that House, and afterwards, with leave from the President, under the said Mr. Tully Fellow of Qu. Coll. After he had continued in Magd. Coll. more than three years, and had perform’d his exercise for the degree of Bach. of Arts, he retir’d to Lincolns Inn, whence after he had spent some time in the municipal Laws, he receeded to his Patrimony at Alderton, where prosecuting his natural Genius which he had to Heraldry and Antiquities, wrot and published these things following.

A Table shewing how to blazon a coat of Arms ten several ways.—Printed 1655 on one side of a single sheet, and taken verbatim, as it seems, from Joh. Fern’s book called The blazon of Nobility, &c.

Nomenclator Geographicus Latino Anglicus, & Anglico-Latinus alphabeticè digestus; complectens plerorumꝫ omnium M. Britanniae & Hiberniae regionum, Comitatum, Episcopatuum, Oppidorum, Fluviorum, &c. nomina & appellationes, &c. Oxon. 1667. oct. To which the Author did afterwards add many other things, with an intention to come out with another edition.

Series alphabetica, Latino-Anglica, nomina gentilitiorum, sive cognominum plurimarum familiarum, quae multos per annos in Angliâ floruere: è libris quà manuscriptis quà typis excusis, aliisque antiquioris aevi monumentis latinis collecta. Oxon. 1667. oct. This book was afterwards crept into a thick quarto, by the additions of the etymologies of the words and many little annotations concerning the Arms of the said Families, but before the Author could put it into the press, he was snatch’d away by death.

Catalogus in certa capita, seu classes, alphabetico ordine concinnatus, plerorúmque omnium authorum (tam antiquorum quàm recentiorum) qui de re heraldica, Latinè, Gallicè, Ital. Hispan. Germ. Anglicè scripserunt. Oxon. 1668. in 4 sh. and an half. To which the Author making many additions, with prefaratory discourses of Arms and Armory, it was printed again at Oxon 1674. in 16 sh. in qu. After this the Author growing wealthy, and noted for a rich man, became High-Sheriff of Wilts. an. 1680, whereupon suffering in his reputation by some of his neighbouring gentry, he wrot and published,

Loyalty displayed, and falshood unmask’d: or, a just Vindication of Tho. Gore Esq. High-Sheriff of the County of Wilts. in a letter to a friend. Lond. 1681. in 1 sh. qu. He gave up the ghost at Alderton before mention’d, on the 31 of March (Easter Munday) in sixteen hundred eighty and four, and was buried in the Church there,1684 among the graves of his Ancestors; leaving then behind him several pieces of Heraldry of his own composure, collections of Arms out of several Churches and Houses which he had made in his Journeys, additions to, and corrections of, the books that he had published, and a choice collection of Heraldry books, and books relating to that faculty, as well printed as in MS.